to gr e a t aesthetic and c ritic a l e f f e c t – a r t is t s lik e C a r r ie M a e We e m s, L o r na Simpson, or Glenn Ligon – w e r e b e ing r e p la c e d by nua nc e d a nd my s t e r io u s inte r p r e t ations of the c omp lexit ie s o f id e nt it y. T his p r e m is e ov e r s t a t e d t he simplicity of the pr e vious ge ne r a t io n a nd t he my s t e r ie s o f t he la t t e r, but d i d ma ke the spac e for an Afric a n- Am e r ic a n s ho w t ha t a d d r e s s e d t ha t v e r y c o n ce pt with a di v er sity of a pp r o a c he s, f r o m t o t a l a b s t r a c t io n t o p o p c e le b r a t io n. Big ger s’ piece, a colla bor at io n w it h t he a r t is t Je nnif e r Za c k in, w a s a m o ng t h e most mem or a ble in the show a nd w o uld la t e r b e o ne o f t he s t and o ut p ie c e s in the 2002 Whitney Biennia l. “A S m a ll Wo r ld … ” (2 0 0 0 ), is a s ing l e c ha nne l vide o installation r unning o n a s ix- m inut e lo o p. T he a r t is t s us e d o ld f a m ily films of their c hildhood s t o d r a w s t r ik ing p a r a lle ls a nd c o m p a r is o ns t o a middle c lass African-Americ a n ex p e r ie nc e a nd a m id d le c la s s Je w is h- Am e r ic a n experience. In a monta ge o f i m a ge s, b o t h k id s p l ay t he p ia no, p o s e w it h f amily for Christmas or Hanuk k a h, ha v e b ir t hd ay p a r t ie s, p lay a t t he b e a c h, and take trips to Disneylan d . W hile t he o ut s id e w o r ld o f t he la t e ‘ 6 0 s o r ear ly ‘70s w as continuously r o c k e d w it h t he p r o ble m o f r a c e , f r o m w it hin t he per specti ve of these her me t ic f a m ily ex p e r ie nc e s, t hing s lo o k v e r y m uc h t h e sa me . While the title ir onica lly inv o k e s t he D is ney la nd r id e t ha t ma k e s s ho c k ingly nai ve equi v alences am o ng t he p e o p le s o f t he w o r ld , B ig ge r s a nd Za c k in sho w th at within m iddle c la s s s p a c e s it is a s m a ll w o r ld , a f t e r a ll. Sanfor d Big ger s gr e w up in So ut h C e nt r a l L o s Ange l e s, a ne ig hb o r ho o d t ha t is mo r e c om plex and layer e d s o c ia lly t ha n t he m o no lit hic a s s o c ia t io ns t ha t usually accompany the nam e . H e r e he e ng a ge d in t ha t li v e ly s c e ne ’ s m us ic , d a nce , f ashion and politic s. As a yo ung p a r t ic ip a nt in t he e a r ly c ul t ur e o f Los Angeles hip-hop, Big ge r s t o o k t ha t s t y le a nd e ne r g y w ith him a s h e move d thr ough higher educ a t io n, his s t udy a b r o a d in Flo r e nc e , his t im e li v ing in Ja pan, his BA fr om M o r e ho us e , his M FA f r o m t he Ar t I ns t it ut e o f C hi ca go, a nd other tr aining in B a lt im o r e a nd Sk o w he g a n, M a ine . Fr o m t he r e his se lf- e d ucation be g an to r es e m ble t ha t o f a c o nt e m p o r a r y Re nais s a nc e m a n: specialized but wide r anging, im p r ov is a t o r y a nd c o s m o p o l it a n. H e s p e a k s Ja pa ne se and Italian, know s a b o ut b r e a k d a nc ing, B ud d his m , a r t his t o r y a nd
a t hing o r t w o a b o ut t he w o r ld . I n t he t im e I c o r r e s p o nded with him in the w r it ing o f t his e s s ay, he w a s d o ing p r o je c t s in G e r m a ny, I ndonesia, and bac k in C hic a go. B ig ge r s s p lit s his t im e b e t w e e n H a r le m w he r e he is bas ed, and R ic hm o nd , w he r e he t e a c he s a t Vir g inia C o m m o nw e a lt h U ni ver s it y. Nex t year he w il l b e a v is it ing a r t is t a nd s c ulp t ur e p r o f e s s o r a t H a r v ar d U ni ver s it y. B igge r s is a n a r t is t s ’ a r t is t t ha t h a s a ls o e njoye d c o m m e r c ia l success, showing in r e p ut a ble g a lle r ie s in N e w Yo r k a nd L o s Ange le s, w hi le being r e ver ed fr om t he ins id e by f e llo w c o lle a g ue s. B ig ge r s ’ int e r d is c ip lina r y a p p r o a c h r e f le c t s his p hy s ic a l mobility. Despite a c e nt ur y o f a v a nt - g a r d e ex p e r im e nt a t io n in t he w o r ld o f f ine ar t , it s t ill w or k s o ut b e s t fo r a r t is t s t o b e s o m e t hing : a p a int e r, a s c ul p t or, a photo gr a pher. O t he r w is e , w hic h d e p a r t m e nt in t he m us e um is s up p o s e d t o collect your wor k? W hic h b ox w ill yo u c he c k o n t he g r a nt a p p lic a t io n? And w hat do you t ell t hat w e a lt hy p a t r o n a t t he c o c k t a il p a r t y w he n yo u o nly ha v e a minute to explain yo ur s e lf ? B ig ge r s ’ ina b ilit y t o b e c a t e go r i z e d in a ny o f these simple w ays c ha l le nge s t he d e e p ly e nt r e nc he d no t io ns o f t e c h ni q ue and discipline that s ha p e t he m a r k e t s a r o und v is ua l a r t . B ut w he n w e c a ll ar tists like Big ger s int e r d is c ip lina r y, t ha t ’ s r e a lly jus t p o s t - m o d e r n la ng ua ge to describe a w ay o f w o r k i ng t ha t ’ s q uit e c o m m o n in m a ny p la c e s o ut s id e o f Wester n moder nity. B ig ge r s him s e lf r e f e r s t o a n Af r ic a n a r t is t ic t r a d it io n a s a guiding principle, o ne t ha t is m o r e f luid t ha n t he s p e c ia liz ing m a nd a t e o f Eur opean ar t. In t his m o d e l, a n a r t is t is a llo w e d t o w o r k in w ha t e v e r m e d ium w ill f ulf ill her or his id e a s. H ip - ho p it s e lf is a go o d ex a m p le a nd a no t he r guiding principle fo r B ig ge r s, in it s s y nt he s is o f m u s ic , p o e t r y, a nd p e r fo r mance, it s a bilit y t o m a k e ne w t hing s f r o m o ld t hing s a nd v ic e v e r s a , it s p o litical r ele v ance and f a nt a s t ic a l p o w e r. B ig ge r s us e s B u d d his t p r inc ip le s in a s imilar w ay, a ppr ec ia t ing in t he s p ir it ua l t r a d it io n a n a b ilit y t o a b s o r b a num ber of ideas s imul t a ne o us ly, a f luid it y o f p r a c t ic e , a nd a s e ns e o f p r o f und ity in mundane acts a n d o b je c t s. And a ll o f t his f it s w e ll w it h Af r ic a n d ia s p o r ic tr aditions, w her e lo c a t io n is ne v e r q uit e a p la c e in a nd o f it s e lf, but s o m e place in r elation to o t he r p la c e s ; w he r e ho m e is p r ov is io na l, s o m e p la c e b e t w een a los t pas t and 17