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.

This exhibit begins its examination of the theme at the source: the 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.
 
The sculptures and masks shown here are from various African groups, and reflect different groups’ beliefs and sculptural styles. The artists who have created these objects are highly respected and well-trained artisans who reinterpret classical cultural styles within their ancient art forms.
 
Unlike Western art, African “art” is purposeful, a symbolic art form. The sculptures in this exhibition 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. 

These sculptures depict the harmony Africans sought with nature versus the control over the animal kingdom. Africans appreciated that animals did not demonstrate the random violence and aggressiveness of man. 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.

Welcome to what we hope will be a transforming experience

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.
 
The “fire spitter” is a powerful mask (kponyungo) 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.
 
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.
The leopard, an intelligent, courageous, and 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.

As 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, for example, 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.
 
Among the Bamun, hunting was 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.

HERMAN BIGHAM AND ASSOCIATES is a collective of primarily African presenters, preservers and scholars of African Art. Mainstream museums, even those with extraordinary works of African art, rarely understand or explore the full meaning inherent in their collections as cultural icons representing ancestral practices of Americans of African descent. Herman Bigham and Associates is dedicated to filling this void. Hundreds of thousands of viewers nationally have seen various exhibitions from Herman Bigham & Associates.

Our exhibitions are shown in venues that are readily accessible to the general public such as libraries, schools, airports and African-American museums and cultural centers. Currently, we have various touring exhibitions.

The unifying theme of all our exhibitions is to emphasize the original intent of African sculpture as a visual means of perpetuating social order, stability, and maintaining cultural continuity. Our exhibitions strive to provide contemporary relevance to our cultural heritage.

    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. For more information about the exhibit visit http://www.octobergallery.com/bigham/

The first comment received was from Mrs. Amy Dougherty, the chairperson of the Friends of the Free Library.
“ I recently visited the MET in New York and toured their African section, the Art work in this presentation is surely of that same quality.”

Dear Herman Bigham and Associates;

I am an artist whom enjoyed your exhibit at the free library.
I will visit The Exhibit everyday until it is no longer their. The exhibit was a delightful experience; I would like everyone to experience how it has affected me.

I would like to do a pastel drawing with one of your mask on display at the exhibit. I ask for permission to create a drawing of the masks in the exhibit.  

My job is having a Culture Diversity Day, which allows people to show a reflection of their talent and culture.

Looks fabulous. I hope to come up to see the exhibit before it closes!

MUCH SUCCESS WITH THE EXHIBIT 
See you there!  I must support a warrior for African art, peace      KAREN RIGGS  TRIBAL HOME Gallery Philly

I find these sculptures to be very interesting. I do like black art pieces, but as I look at these marvelous sculptures everyday this has broaden my horizon to start visiting more art museums and learn more knowledge about the history and making of these fine pieces
Victoria Smith Philadelphia

This exhibit reminds us that the notion of the human species as unique and separate from the natural world is a fairly recent characteristically European idea and represents a certain degree of hubris.
Michael Dummer Philadelphia

Very impressive
Claudette A. West Philadelphia

Magnificent
Dr. G. A. Ramsen Philadelphia

Wonderful!! The exhibit pulls you in with great thought and admiration.
Nettic Philadelphia

Absolutely marvelous; I really admired the gold-like trimmed Egyptian –like pieces. This exhibit brings such joy to me because when I was growing up the significance and availability of such beautiful art was not always readily available to me. Thank you for the stimulation of my imagination.
Pamela Williams Philadelphia

What an extraordinary exhibit. So fascinating to see how African culture integrates man/woman and animal in so many ways that Western culture does not.
Jean Haskell

The ancestors always find a way to speak
Corbitt Banks Philadelphia

I am deeply spellbound by the sculpture collections from all around the African continent. It is a great pleasure to see it exposed to every one from all backgrounds.
Shanell Verandey-Williams Philadelphia

The African sculpture’s close relationship to pre-Columbian southern art intrigues me. I would be honored to have representative African art in my home
Laine Herzstein Philadelphia

Outstanding show collection! These pieces are far beyond what is typically exhibited. The creativity is unbelievable and extremely thought provoking. Bravo!
Chris Perks New Jersey