Acrylic Paint

Beautiful artist's proof by artist John Biggers edition 4/6. Signed, titled, and dated by artist. Because of the African origins of the "shotgun house"-a narrow, rectangular house popularized in the southern United States, Biggers used it as a symbol of continuity within African American culture. In this piece, he weaves the repetitive architecture of the shotgun house with quilt patterns. The pervasive porches foster communal life and neighborhood connectivity. In his vision, humans, animals, and tools alike take on universal meanings: iron pots stand in for the womb, while train tracks recall the Underground Railroad, as well as the ongoing divide between neighborhoods.

Born in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1924, John Biggers studied at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) under Viktor Lowenfeld and muralist Charles White. In 1943, Biggers' mural, Dying Soldier, was included in the exhibition curated by Lowenfeld, Young Negro Art, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. After serving in the United States Navy, Biggers transferred to Pennsylvania State University where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees as well as his doctorate in art education. In 1949, Biggers accepted a faculty position at Texas State University for Negroes (now Texas Southern University) in Houston, where he founded and chaired the art department until his retirement. In the early 50s, he won prizes for his work at annual exhibitions held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Dallas Museum of Art. In 1957, he traveled to Africa on a UNESCO fellowship to study Western African cultural traditions, becoming one of the first black artists to study the culture first-hand rather than through library research. His work was profoundly influenced by his experiences in Africa. He was known for his murals, but also for his drawings, paintings, and lithographs, and was honored by a major traveling retrospective exhibition from 1995 to 1997. He created archetypal imagery that spoke positively to the rich and varied ethnic heritage of African Americans, long before the Civil Rights era drew attention to their African cultural roots. Biggers passes away in 2001 in Houston, TX.

H 39.5 in. x W 31 in.

H 34 in. x W 25 in.