by P. K. McCary
To look at a painting and admire it is a compliment to the artist. To stand at a painting and be transfixed by its colors, textures and patterns, is a compliment to the spirit of the artist.
John Biggers has captured the colors, textures and patterns of life; leaving us transfixed to bottom of our souls. The uniqueness of his style is his innate ability to bring life to his canvasses for what Biggers does is paint life;. He takes the universal metaphors...from the mosaic fabrics of ancestral quilts to the symetrical patterns in the architectural structure of shotgun houses to the shining steel of a railroad track...and gives them credence long forgotten. He paints the joys and sorrows of faces he has known and we have forgotten...and he brings back memories and helps us see the good in the lives we've lived. But more...he takes the viewer into a warm acknowledgement that we have come and we have stayed; Powerful images of powerful people in times of woe and triumph!
There have been few artists who have allowed themselves to explore their creativity such as John Biggers. Painting is what he does, but also who he is. The fluid motions in his paintings tell stories a thousand words would be hard to capture. He finds the voices of his ancestors, beautiful, bold, Black Africans and gives them life again. Take his quilting party, a huge mural hanging in the City of Houston's Music Hall. Here Biggers combines past, present and future of the African and African American culture and weaves it into a telling tale of spirit and survival. Painted in bold and dazzling colors, it is not only a replica of all that Biggers has known, but all that Biggers feels - the history, the spirit and fullness of African life. It is as if he finds in the surreal, redemption.! For all of us.
Biggers works hang in institutions and museums around the country. A 127-piece retrospect of his works will tour nationally for the next two years. These incredible works of art span his lifetime as a painter and historian and offer us a chance to stand transfixed at Biggers in life.
P. K. McCary has 3 children, is a published poet and Internet consultant living and working in Houston, Texas. Her Email address is pk&co@hou.com.