Atlanta Airport Exhibit:

Hanging Panel #1

The City of Atlanta Department of Aviation Art Program in conjunction with Herman Bigham & Associates is pleased to present "The Symbolic Use of Animals in African Cultural Art" an exhibit of rare and traditional African sculpture that explores how animals have influenced the spiritual and cultural life of African civilizations. This exhibit begins its examination of the theme at the source: the rich and varied African civilization of ancient Egypt.  A section of this exhibit establishes the cultural unity of Ancient Egypt, West and Central Africa as demonstrated through shared sculptural forms and belief systems that emphasize a harmonious relationship between humans and animals. It also shows how the attributes of animals are symbolically used to communicate standards of social values and behavior. These practices are a rich cultural model, effectively practiced in Africa for millennia.  Cave drawings from the Saharan desert over 20,000 years ago, statues from ancient Egypt (Kemet) 5,000 years ago, and 100 year-old masks from sub-Saharan African, all come from a culture where humans are expected to live harmoniously within the animal world.  In Kemet the written language & sculptural forms often utilized animal figures and expressed abhorrence for the random slaughter of animals.  Other statues and masks in this exhibit are from various African groups, and reflect different groups’ beliefs and sculptural styles.  The pieces are not meant to be realistic nor are they objects made directly for worship; rather, they are representative of and reinforce the social values of the community.  Today, we have become increasingly separated from nature with our efforts of conquest and subjugation.  This exhibition is an attempt to visually reconnect with nature through the lens of the animal world and its spiritual and social lessons.
The Lenders – Herman Bigham & Associates from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a collective of primarily African presenters, preservers and scholars of African Art.  The unifying theme of all of their exhibitions is to emphasize the original intent of African sculpture as a visual means of perpetuating social order, stability, and maintaining cultural continuity. They strive to develop exhibits that demonstrate the contemporary relevance of their African cultural heritage.  For information about their other exhibitions or for a resource list for this exhibit you can email hblj2@aol.com or visit their website at www.octobergallery.com/bigham.

The Presenters - This exhibit is presented by the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation Art Program.  The Gallery T display cases, located between the entrance and exit corridors to the T Gates, feature rotating exhibits of art and artifacts that change every nine to twelve months.  For more information about this exhibit or other offerings of the Airport Art Program contact 404/530-4289.

Special thanks are extended to the art lenders, members, sponsors, and supporters who have enabled Herman Bigham & Associates to produce this and other inspiring and educational exhibitions.   Individuals who loaned artwork for this exhibit include: Mr. Peter Gould, Mrs. Robin Potter, Mr. Michael Anthony Brown,  Dr. George Starks, Mr. Danny Simmons, Mr. Abram Engelman, Mr. Stan Simmons, Mr. Dan Parker, Mr. Kenneth Brown, Mr. Antoine Lema and Herman Bigham.  Thanks are also extended to  Herman Bigham for  producing  this exhibit.
 
Hanging Panel #2

SYMBOLS OF POWER AND SPIRITUAL BEINGS
In Africa, animals have played a critical role in the affairs of man and the spirit world since ancient times.  The African belief system tightly integrates man with animals and nature in a holistic view of life. To Baule healers, monkeys were important symbols as intermediaries between the human society and the natural and spiritual worlds.  Large monkey statues frequently stood open-handed or held small cups for offerings by the community.  Monkeys are especially respected for their innate intelligence, cunning and learning capacity.  Another symbolic animal reference can be seen in the "fire spitter" mask (kponyungo) which is danced at funerals of Senufo elders.  It invokes the strength and aggressiveness of animals such as the bush-pig and the crocodile, and combines these images with those of hornbill birds and chameleons, symbols of fecundity and the primordial creation.  Associated with the Poro society, this mask directs its powers toward maintaining the social order and against lawbreakers, sorcerers and other negative forces.  Often African rulers used animal images, frequently incorporating skins and teeth of animals, to symbolize that they had taken on the characteristics and power of these animals.  For example, the leopard, an intelligent, courageous, and a fierce predator, was commonly invoked as a symbol of royal power. Throughout Africa, leopards are portrayed in ceremonial masks and statues and incorporated in royal staffs and thrones.

Hanging Panel #3

TEACHERS OF LIFE SKILLS AND SOCIAL VALUES

Earth’s first inhabitants, animals are appreciated for their understanding of nature.  They are viewed as allies, and are symbols of creation and survival.  Their depictions in ceremonial masks and statues reflect their importance.  The Bamana people believe that when humans were first placed on the earth, it was the antelope that showed them where to farm.  Today, at the start of planting season, a ceremony in the fields incorporates female and male antelope headdresses (chi wara).  The chi wara symbolize the coming together of the male and the female for the creation of life, a spiritual sign symbolizing the fertility of the crops and the community.  An example of how animals impart strength and stature to humans can be found among the Bamun, where hunting is not just a means of survival, but also a source and display of power.  Traditional hunters’ apparel gave the hunter attributes of power and communication with his prey.  Folktales from the Grasslands of Cameroon tell of successful hunters who started powerful dynasties.  As in many societies, African elders look to animals for guidance and education.  "Don’t mock the crocodile until you have crossed the river," counsels a Cameroonian proverb.   Such proverbs are incorporated, literally, into the fabric of the society.  The language of Adinkra, the hand-painted and hand-embroidered mourning cloth of Ghana, incorporates animal symbols into the design messages.  Similarly, folktales filled with talking animals instruct listeners on proper behavior, life skills and the consequences of breaking the rules.   Statues and other representations of these animals serve as reminders of such lessons.  Africans sought harmony with nature rather than control over the animal kingdom.  Africans appreciated that animals did not demonstrate the random violence and aggressiveness of man.


    Everybody enjoys admiring ancient wonders; some travel hundreds of miles just to see exhibits.  But sometimes the best place to visit is in your own backyard.
    Such is the case with the new exhibit, "Symbolic Use of Animals in African Cultural Arts" – conveniently situated at the Terminal T Gallery, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, hosting the event.  The exhibit opened in October of 2007, will continue through October of 2008.
    "The main object of African culture is to maintain cultural order, and much of that order is maintained through harmony with nature and animals," says Herman Bigham, the curator for Herman Bigham and Associates.  The exhibit is comprised of over 150 sculptures of various mediums, including bronze, wood, from the mid-19th to early 20th centuries.
    According to Bigham, the art conveys the idea that "people without a sense of their cultural history and values, are doomed."  Western ideals often convey nature in an altogether different light.  In many cases, animals are depicted as wild, dangerous, and are hunted and killed.  Bigham says that the Airport exhibit conveys a much different approach.    
"Africans have always lived life in connection with nature," he says.  "The great respect that they have for nature is reflected in this art exhibit."
    In discussing a distinct sculpture in which an African woman rides bareback a leopard, Bigham describes it as a "symbol that we should be striving toward harmony with nature – not control."  In similar sculptures, animals are shown as compliments of humans, rather than victims.
Within another sculpture, alligators lie with their bellies crossed – supporting the notion, Bigham says, that "When one eats, we all eat."  This concept of reciprocity, though instinctually engaged in nature, often turns up short on the human side.  "We, as humans, are so frail [when compared with alligators], but can be so fierce when it comes to sharing," says Bigham.
    Regardless of how one interprets the exhibit, one thing is for sure: it will have a definite impact on the more than thirty-five million people who pass through the airport yearly.  Herman Bigham says, "It is the largest exhibit in terms of size, power, quality, as well as exposure of African culture Art in an public venue."  The collection is assembled from loans from private collections of individuals belonging to Herman Bigham and Associates.  Noted collectors include Robin Potter and Peter Gould, as well as others.  Bigham has gained success by developing relationships with distinct collectors & institutions with high quality art, which participate in lending materials to events such as the Airport Exhibit.
    According to him, though many highly anticipate the exhibit eagerly, a major museum curator said, "It’s most regrettable that the exhibit will be hosted at the Airport."  This comment reflects the position that many Western "scholars" and museums have held African cultural arts hostage.  For years, such arts have been a tremendous source of revenue.  "Recently, at Sotheby’s [auction house in New York], a Benin head sold in excess of $6 million," says Bigham.  Other auctions in places including Paris, France, have sold pieces for over $4 million – demonstrating the immense economic and cultural power involved in controlling the circulation of artwork.  Oftentimes, such prices reflect the values determined by museums, which control the exposure, importance and resultant value. Herman says, "We’ve already received an incredible response from different groups".
    Herman Bigham and Associates is a Philadelphia-based collective composed primarily of African art presenters, preservers, and scholars.  Established in 2000, they have presented exhibits in seven cities, viewed by over 160,000 admirers. 
For more information on Herman Bigham and Associates, and to view the exhibit, visit their web site at www.octobergallery.com/bigham.  Also contact David Vogt, manager of the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport Art program at 404.530.4289.


    A touring exhibit of multi-ethnic, multi-medium traditional African sculpture and cultural artifacts symbolizing the harmonious and interdependent relationship between humans and animals is on view at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
 T.  Terminal upper gallery, from Mid October 2007 through September 2008.
The Exhibit which is being provided by Herman Bigham features an impressive and awe inspiring collection of over one hundred and fifty masks and sculptures from West, East and Central Africa. The exhibit provides insight into the world-view, cosmology, philosophies and creativity of numerous family groups and ethnic groupings from those regions.

     Herman Bigham is the curator for Herman Bigham and Associates a consortium of preservers, presenters and African Scholars of traditional African cultural arts. He is ecstatic that Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is presenting this exhibit of their collection.  "We did our first exhibit in an airport in Philly, Philadelphia International Airport several years ago during the time of the airline conference of airport exhibit directors.

    "The Atlanta airport gallery is incredible. We are in a prime location and thirty-five million people come through there every year. The collection is mind blowing. I just came back from Paris attending a major exhibition that is done yearly featuring fifty of the top galleries from around the world, the material we are offering at the Atlanta exhibition is easily on par or better than much of what was offered at that Paris exhibition." Bigham shared.

    All the artifacts in this exhibit entitled The Symbolic Use of Animals in African Cultural Art come from the private collections of Herman Bigham a Philadelphia native, his friends and fellow African cultural art lovers. Bigham has a special attachment and affinity for African history and culture and an undying passion for sharing and explaining African cosmology so the masses comprehend the profundity of African creativity and culture. "The emphasis of the exhibit while it is called the Symbolic Use of Animals in African Cultural Art is really more about people’s behavior than animals. Africans studied the conduct of animals and used them as symbols illustrate proper values and behavior. What I’d like people to be physically and emotionally moved by the art created by Africans and connected to it culturally so they understand what the sculptures are informing us about the social, cultural and moral issues we confront today. This exhibit shows how Africans see themselves connected to other life form which is different from the West. Here they define themselves as being in opposition to the "beast". But if you look at the behavior, animals don’t do the types of things we see such as mass slaughter and war. When you look at Western art, and how they depict animals it is always being wild, terrifying or something to be tamed. But I went to East Africa and lived amongst people who weren’t afraid of the animals just like we aren’t afraid of a bicycle. I’ve never seen an African sculpture that depicts an animal in vicious manner."

     Bigham believes his mission is to present African art so the observer has access to the art and the cultural milieu that produced it. He started out seven years ago with several of his friends sharing their art work to create an exhibit to showcase the African genius in a grass roots way.  They started out using small venues like neighborhood libraries and cultural centers. The enthusiastic response from the people convinced him there was a need to expand the exhibit and share it with a larger audience. Based upon their success of producing exhibits viewer by over one hundred Thousand people in seven cities in six years, he now uses airports and train stations, major transportation hubs, College Galleries & museums where his sculpture and art can be seen by much larger audience. Exhibiting outside the sterile traditional museum setting, Bigham discovered more ordinary people actually see the exhibit. 

    Bigham and Associates are a grass roots consortium of cultural preservers. They are self-motivated and passionate about promoting African culture and art. They have produced their exhibits without any foundation financial support or major corporate sponsorships. They know they are fighting against a Western colonial mentality that misrepresents and denigrates Africa and everything African. So they take the initiative to show and share not only their collection but also their knowledge about the people and cultures that produced the art. Their investment has rewarded  a new audience with a richer vision of African cultural artifacts in an informal atmosphere, presented in a dignified manner that honors the art and the people who created it.

Herman,

Congratulations.  Looks very impressive and professionally mounted.

Ken Brown DC Preserver

Very impressive!   Joshua Dimondstein

Dear Mr. Bigham,
 
I was coming from Tuskegee University after visiting my son there. When I arrived at the airport, I viewed the breathtaking exhibit. It was wonderful. I am educator from New York and I always wished that things were done like this in New York. (At the airports)
 
What an enlightening experience. My husband took pictures of the entire exhibit, so I will be keeping an album of these art pieces.
 
Thank you so much.
 
Sheila D. Bair-Bey

My Brother Herman,
 
As always, superb.  I am so gratified to see you continue doing what you love and advancing our important cultural heritage in most excellent venues.   Mike

Dear Brother,
 
Your consistent excellent exhibits of Africa's finest sculpture always makes my heart speed.  I thank you so very much for showing the world, those who would never go to an art gallery to view African art, that there exists nothing finer than the exquisite art of the Motherland.  Your dedication places you in a category alone. 
 
It is not easy to be a pioneer in service to our Great Mother Africa.  Believe me, we know.  It is only those like you, and us who give of their entire lives, and their assets, to the service of Our Mother.  Thank God for your presence.
 
Mama Kali

Herman,

Congratulations.  Looks very impressive and professionally mounted.

Ken Brown DC Preserver

Very impressive!  Joshua Dimondstein

Good Brother Herman;

Man, your work is first-class, the exhibit looks great and wonderful.  Congratulations and compliments for all the hard work expended to reach this achievement.  It is well worth the efforts, we as a people can all feel very proud of your endeavors.

If you don't mind, I'm sharing this with friends within my little world.

Blessings,

Warren

Thank you and Congratulations Herman, for a job well done!
 
I'm sure it took a lot of work, persistance and determination to achieve such a victory. And I'm certain that the Ancestors smile to have their contributions/art works on display with the handling and arrangements done by one of their own.
 
Please except my gratitude, prayers and undying love,
Nana Korantema Ayeboafo

Congratulation for the nice piece!!!!

Best regards
David Zemanek

ZEMANEK-MÜNSTER
TRIBAL-ART-AUCTION

 Germany