Includes bibliographical references. Published on the occasion of the exhibit at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, New York, April 8-September 6, 2020; Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 21, 2020-February 28, 2021; California African American Museum, Los Angeles, California, March-September, 2021--Title page verso.
Contents:
Foreword: Quilted magic, quilted music, quilted freedom in the Black American continuum / Greg Tate -- Introduction and acknowledgements / Klaudio Rodriguez -- The craft and the codes: traveling through history with Sanford Biggers / Antonio Sergio Bessa -- The allegorical paintings of Sanford Biggers / Andrea Andersson -- There are five square knots... / Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard -- Chronology / compiled by Mia Kang, with research by Esperanza Bey -- Mother Patchwerk / John Jennings, David Brame, and Esperanza Bey -- Plates.
Summary:
"Sanford Biggers (b. 1970) is a Harlem-based artist working in various media including painting, sculpture, video, and performance. He describes his practice as "code-switching"--mixing disparate elements to create layers of meaning--to account for his wide-ranging interests. This catalogue focuses on a series of repurposed quilts (many made in the 19th century) that embodies this interest in mixture. Informed by the significance of quilts to the Underground Railroad, Biggers transforms the quilts into new works using materials such as paint, tar, glitter, and charcoal to add his own layers of codes, whether they be historical, political, or purely artistic. Insightful essays survey Biggers's career, his art in relation to music, and the history upon which the series draws. Also featured is a short yet powerful graphic essay by an award-winning illustrator that introduces the layered meanings inherent in the art and craft of quilting."--Cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.