John Biggers

In 1957, widely respected African-American artist John Biggers set off with his wife, Hazel, to see the people of Africa, to set foot on the continent where his ancestors lived for many generations before they were transported to America to a life of slavery. It was a spiritual journey of sorts for Biggers. At the close of his memoir, he states: "At the beginning of our tour I had experienced the discomfort, the uneasiness that an outsider always feels. I did not know from which tribal culture my forefathers were torn; I did not possess linguistic ability for communication. I soon realized, however, that having to identify with all Africans could be an asset instead of a liability, for the future of Africa depends to a great extent on dissolving intertribal dissensions. I also realized that I was probably a composite of all West African tribes anyway, because economic and sociological pressures in America during past centuries had eliminated the many tribal factions and had solidified the Negro into a common group." Biggers was one of a select group of black educators who came together at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas to establish a place of learning for black youth, at a time when black educators, no matter how lofty their qualifications, could only find work at black institutions. His life and his art reflect a turning point in American racist policies. The new Texas Southern University was a creation of the separate-but-equal stance of the justice system of that time, which immediately preceded the powerful civil rights movement of the 1960s and beyond. The text for Ananse, though a memoir of his trip to Africa, over and again reflects the facts of racism in his life. The thoughtful text is only 31 pages. The remainder of the book is devoted to 82 reproductions of the conte-crayon drawings that Biggers made while he was in Africa. His talent and skill are evident. The power of the drawings make me grateful that he did not choose to record his experience photographically. (April 2009)… (plus d'informations)