John T. Biggers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John T. Biggers
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| Born |
John Thomas Biggers
April 13, 1924 |
| Died | January 25, 2001 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Lincoln Academy (Kings Mountain, North Carolina) Hampton Institute |
| Alma mater | Pennsylvania State University |
| Movement | Young Negro Art |
John Thomas Biggers (born April 13, 1924 – died January 25, 2001) was an amazing African-American artist. He was especially known for his large wall paintings called murals. Biggers became famous after the Harlem Renaissance and near the end of World War II.
He created art that showed how unfair racial and economic situations were. John T. Biggers also started the art department at Texas State University for Negroes (now Texas Southern University). This was a special college for Black students.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
John Biggers was born in a unique house built by his father in Gastonia, North Carolina. His father, Paul, was a Baptist preacher, farmer, and even a shoemaker. He was also a schoolteacher and principal. John's mother, Cora, worked as a housekeeper for white families. John was the youngest of seven children. His family was very close and believed strongly in being creative and getting a good education.
When John's father passed away in 1937, his mother, Cora, found a job at an orphanage for Black children. She sent John and his brother, Joe, to Lincoln Academy. This was a school for African-American children in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
After finishing at Lincoln, Biggers went to Hampton Institute (now Hampton University). This was another historically black college. John first planned to become a plumber. But his life changed when he took an art class with Viktor Lowenfeld. Lowenfeld was a Jewish refugee who had escaped danger in Austria before World War II. Lowenfeld showed his students art by African Americans. He also helped them understand the meaning of African art. The Hampton Museum had a large collection of this art.
After this, Biggers decided to study art. At Hampton, he learned from African-American artists like Charles White and Elizabeth Catlett. He also studied the work of Mexican mural painters such as Jose Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Diego Rivera. He was also influenced by Harlem Renaissance artists like William Artis and Hale Woodruf.
In 1943, Biggers joined the U.S. Navy. At that time, the military was separated by race. He stayed at the Hampton Institute and made models of military equipment for training. In the same year, his art was shown in an important exhibit called Young Negro Art. This show was at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Biggers left the Navy in 1945.
Learning and Career
When Viktor Lowenfeld moved to Pennsylvania State University to teach, he convinced Biggers to follow him. In 1946, Biggers started at Pennsylvania State. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in art education in 1948. That same year, he married Hazel Hales. He later earned his doctorate from Pennsylvania State in 1954. Hampton University gave him an honorary degree in 1990.
You can find Biggers's artwork at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Many pieces are in the campus library. The University Museum at Texas Southern University in Houston also has a collection of his works.
Biggers was hired in 1949 to start the art department at Texas State University for Negroes. This school is now Texas Southern University. For the next 34 years, Biggers taught many young African American artists and teachers. He retired from Texas Southern University in 1983.
In 1950, Biggers won first prize for his painting The Cradle. This was at an art show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. However, Black visitors were only allowed into the museum on Thursdays. So, Biggers could not attend the opening of the show.
From 1950 to 1956, Biggers painted four murals in Black communities in Texas. This was the start of his mural work. He painted many public murals in Houston and other places. Two of his murals were painted in 1991 for Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Most of his murals are still there today.
In 1952, the Young Women's Christian Association of Houston asked Biggers to paint a mural for their Blue Triangle branch. Biggers saw the YWCA as a place where African-American girls and women could become strong. He was inspired to create a mural for his doctoral paper. The mural was called The Contribution of the Negro Woman to American Life and Education. Biggers wanted the mural to show the world of the girls and women who would see it.
This mural honored the hard work and sacrifices of African American women. It showed their efforts for their families, communities, and human rights for all women. The mural was very new and important. It showed the social, historical, and educational power of heroic women.
UNESCO Fellowship
In 1957, Biggers received a special award called a fellowship from UNESCO. This stands for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. With this award, he became one of the first African-American artists to visit Africa. He and his wife, Hazel, traveled to Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, and Togo. They wanted to learn about West African cultures firsthand. Biggers said his trip to Ghana and Nigeria was a "positive shock" and "the most important experience of my life."
He started using African designs and scenes from his travels in his art. Biggers went back to Africa in 1969, 1984, and 1987. In an interview in 1975, Biggers talked about his trips. He said, "We spent most of our time in the country. Country people have a great traditional culture. And these cultures are all over the country. They are beautiful. They have lasted a long time."
Biggers believed Lowenfeld helped him grow as an artist. Lowenfeld showed him the deep pain people felt because of their race or beliefs. John T. Biggers passed away at age 76 in Houston.
Artistic Style and Themes
When Biggers studied African myths and legends, he was very interested in creation stories. These stories often featured a powerful female figure, which was different from the male figures in European stories. As his ideas about Africa mixed with memories of his rural Southern life, his art became more geometric and symbolic. He used patterns that looked like quilts to connect his artworks. He also made his colors richer and brighter.
Later in his career, Biggers changed his focus. He moved from art that directly criticized unfairness to more symbolic works. For example, his painting Victim of the City Streets #2 (1946) was very direct. But later works like Birth from the Sea (1964) and Shotguns: Third Ward (1987) used more hidden meanings.
Art expert Robert Farris Thompson noticed how Biggers made everyday household items special. For example, he showed the shotgun house as a symbol of pride and cultural identity. The shotgun house is a simple type of home. Biggers often showed it with a woman standing on the porch. This can mean that women are the source of all creation. He also used a repeated triangular roof shape, like pieces of a quilt. This symbolized making something beautiful from many different parts.
In 1994, Biggers drew pictures for Maya Angelou's poem "Our Grandmothers."
In 1995, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston held a special show of Biggers's work. It was called The Art of John Biggers: View from the Upper Room. The show also traveled to Boston, Hartford, Connecticut, and Raleigh, North Carolina. Alvia J. Wardlaw, the show's curator, said, "He is someone who has kept an emphasis on African-American culture for over 50 years." Wardlaw is a well-known writer about African-American art.
In 1996, Biggers was asked to design a mural called Celebration of Life in North Minneapolis. This area had many African-American residents. Other local artists helped finish the mural. However, the mural was taken down in 2001 because of new housing being built.
In 2016, The Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C., opened an exhibit called John Biggers: Wheels in Wheels. It included 12 important paintings, drawings, and prints. It also had a rare sculpture by the artist. The museum said Biggers used rich symbols and beautiful skill. He found connections between personal and family stories, traditions, and symbols. He wove them together to show bigger cultural and historical ideas. Themes like the importance of women, family, and overcoming challenges are clear in his art.
Selected Collections
- Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN
- Williams College Museum of Art, WCMA, Williamstown, MA
- Hampton University, Hampton, VA
- The University Museum at Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
- Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.
