Sanford Biggers, a small world. . ., Split screen, single channel DVD, 6 min., 30 sec., 1999–2001
Artist/Maker:
Sanford Biggers
Bio:
American, b. 1970
Artist/Maker:
Jennifer Zackin
Bio:
American, b. 1970
Title:
a small world. . .
Date:
1999–2001
Medium:
Split screen, single channel DVD, 6 min., 30 sec.
Dimensions:
Dimensions variable
Credit Line:
Purchase: Fine Arts Acquisitions Committee
Accession Number:
2001-63

Not On View

In the collaborative video a small world . . . , the artists Sanford Biggers and Jennifer Zackin juxtapose home movies of their families—one African American and one Jewish American—to explore the commonalities of middle-class life across racial lines.



The silent footage was shot during the childhood of the artists in the 1970s, Biggers in California and Zackin in New York. The similarities in both family narratives are striking, and the tone is playful. The Biggerses and the Zackins celebrate birthdays, travel to Disneyland, and entertain at indoor and outdoor gatherings. Yet the split screen sets up two clearly delineated and nonintersecting worlds—black America and white America. As a whole, the artwork leaves open the question of whether a bridge exists between these two universes.

Information may change as a result of ongoing research.

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