Blossom, by Sanford Biggers, is a monumental artwork that invites reflection on the violent history

Blossom, by Sanford Biggers, is a monumental artwork that invites reflection on the violent history of white supremacy. In the installation, a heavy tree grows through a grand piano, its keys moving on their own to play a rendition of Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit. When I teach from this piece, students are always curious about its surreal elements: How did this tree get here? Where did this piano come from, and who’s playing it? What’s this song? Teachers can leverage their students’ innate curiosity about the work, creating space for them to celebrate legacies of Black creativity and resilience, reflect on continuities between the past and the present, and confront the violent reality of racism in America.Check out our free Teaching Resource featuring more questions for viewing, activities, and resources about this work.Posted by Michael Reback, Teacher Services CoordinatorSanford Biggers (American, born 1970). Blossom, 2007. Steel, plastic and synthetic fibers, wood, MIDI player piano system, Zoopoxy, pigment, soil, modelling clay, polyurethane foam. Brooklyn Museum, Purchase gift of Toby Devan Lewis, Charles and Amber Patton, and an anonymous donor, gift of the Contemporary Art Council, and the Mary Smith Dorward Fund, 2011.10. © artist or artist’s estate -- source link

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