(If it weren't for my son I'd never know this was bad kerning. A little knowledge can be bad.)
"The true method of knowledge is experiment." (William Blake)
(Listed as 'advanced', don't know if I'm up to it)
I was reading my Artspace newsletter this morning and came across a very interesting article about Sanford Biggers- his bio, his way of working, his take on the art world he works within and his new book. First, go read his article at this Artspace link:
I was taken by the image behind him, looking like a construction of painters tape and needed to investigate further- but I was in for a surprise when I discovered it was actually a QUILT. He uses found and donated quilts as his painting canvas! And they are brilliant.
This quote was taken from his website explaining his 'Quilt Drawings', as he calls them.
"Sanford Biggers has come to international prominence in the last decade with a body of work that investigates the themes of identity, race, African American history, and spirituality oftentimes through the blending installation and performance. His latest work continues the exploration of these themes through another stylistic departure, painting on historical quilts. Though the extent of their use has been contested, quilts were used on the Underground Railroad as signposts signaling "stations" or safe houses. Slaves moved along the Railroad under the cover of night in some cases led by earlier escapees such as the renowned Abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, who is credited with leading dozens of slaves to freedom. Tubman is said to have been guided by the North Star during her perilous night journeys, thus Biggers' use of star maps as the source material of his paintings references both Tubman and the Underground Railroad she traversed. Gregory Volk has remarked that the references to the constellations, "situate the whole work in relation to the cosmos, to immensities, and this is one of many times in Biggers' work when fractious and gritty earthly matters are juxtaposed with overwhelming vastness." That some of these late nineteenth-, early-twentieth century quilts were donated to Biggers by the descendant of slave owners adds a poignant historical echo to the work. The quilts hung in the gallery space juxtaposed with the "cloud" forms composed of raw cotton, another dual reference to slavery and the beyond, act as maps simultaneously connecting us to our past and our present." -Matthew McLendon, PhD, Associate Curator at Ringling Museum of Art
He considers his work performance art and this Buddhist Mandala design was done on linoleum for a break dancing show- I loved seeing it from above, a vantage point that is quite different from the usual dance perspective. Enjoy the work of this talented man, as well as the dance competition!
Whew, after that brush with art this morning a squirrel kind of seems anticlimactic, eh? Good thing I found this cute little guy to finish up, love the ears.
Now get out of the house and have a great Sunday! Or Sundae. XOXO,
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