3/11/10: 5th Visiting Artist: Sanford Biggers

"The only limits are those you impose on yourself." Sanford

Sanford Biggers was introduced as a former professor at VCU and is currently teaching at Columbia. He is a sculpture and installation artist. After seeing his work I would say he is definitely a multi/mixed-media artist interested in collaboration. His work considers cultural and race relations as well as adding a bit of spirituality and african heritage.

At first I was very suspicious of Biggers because he didn't seem very organized. He started off by showing a compilation that I thought would never end. I sort of wish he had shown it last and used the first section of time just to talk and show individual pieces. I had to leave before he was done because I had a test to take. I could tell once he started to talk that his work is very important for me to take a deeper look into. He was very excited about his work though, which is refreshing.
 

"Beyond the floating smile of the Cheshire cat, this image makes reference to the “raced” body, racial stereotypes organized around a set of symbols profoundly anchored in white discourse as if the white observer was presuming to speak for all without the slightest mention of his or her own "raced" identity. It evokes overtly racist images such as the early advertising of Banania chocolate and Darkie toothpaste, but also the complex fact that several black performers from early minstrelsy to current hip-hop have embraced and exploited racial stereotypes as a tacit acceptance to benefit from the social and financial ascension that entertainment offers to African Americans."

Artist's Website