Look closely at this work from MAD’s collection that evokes the Underground Railroad, graffiti, American quilting traditions, and the shaped canvasses of modern artists. Journey from the past to the present day in this object lesson for learners grades 5 and up.
Made from antique quilts, Sanford Bigger’s Dagu prompts us to think about the ways that objects hold meaning and how the stories they tell change over time.
look
Describe Dagu:
What colors do you notice?
What shapes and patterns do you see?
What representational elements are there?
What materials did the artist use to make this work?
What can you tell about the processes the artist used to create the work?
explore
New York-based artist Sanford Biggers often uses antique quilts as the basis of his work. Instead of starting with a blank canvas, he is interested in layering his own imagery on top of already existing layers, like one story inspired by another. This is how he describes his process: “Conceptually, quilts have been of interest to me because there have been rumors of quilts being used on the Underground Railroad. So as escaping slaves were moving from the South to the North, at night they would sometimes come upon a safe house that had quilts either folded a certain way or certain patterns on display, which would give instructions like “Tonight it’s safe to stay here,” or “We’re under surveillance, keep moving,” or “Turn left at the river up ahead.” I liked the idea of this embedded language that is potentially imbued inside the quilt. The quilts I use are pre-1900s; as I use those, I am adding yet another layer of coded language.”[1]
How does this insight into the artist’s working method and thoughts help you to make sense of the work?
How do the different layers he describes play out in this particular piece?
Why do you think he decided to superimpose images of stars (or are they stars?) and clouds over the antique quilts?
discuss
With an artistic practice that encompasses performance, video, and installation art, Biggers draws inspiration from many different directions, including African American folk art, the shaped canvasses of Frank Stella, and graffiti. The photorealistic spray-painted clouds he superimposed over the quilts not only reference the importance of celestial navigation for runaway slaves, but are also a nod to what the artist has described as a “rite of passage for aspiring graffiti artists.”[3]
Asked what attracted him to graffiti, Biggers said he liked how it combines improvisation and risk: “There is something almost very romantic about being a graffiti artist because here you are, going out at night, risking your safety, putting this masterpiece on the wall that you know very well could be erased the next day. So it’s not even about the permanence of it, it’s about the act.”[2]
Discuss the relevance of the concept of time in Dagu.
In what way does the work reference the past, the present, and the future?
How do we navigate or “read” the work as we look at it over time, and how does its meaning gradually reveals itself to the viewer?
make
Find a fabric at home that is no longer being used—for example, a torn t-shirt, an old dishtowel, or a frayed bandana.
Think about a journey you have taken that is of personal significance to you. This could be a trip to a foreign country, a walk within your neighborhood, to school, or to some other destination.
On your piece of fabric, map out that journey using markers, paint, and/ or embroidery thread. You may choose to draw or stitch a literal map or you might highlight destinations or landmarks, the people you were with, or something you noticed along the way.
