“I hope people are reminded of the cyclical nature of life, the way memories and experiences shape our identities, just as clouds shape and reshape the sky." Sanford Biggers
Sanford Biggers is a multimedia artist whose practice encompasses painting, sculpture, video, photography, music, and performance. As an artistic intermediary, he disrupts established narratives, weaving U.S. history into broader global frameworks. By remixing cultural symbols and intervening in historical forms, he complicates collective mythologies and reimagines traditions. His work reflects personal experiences, from his early engagement with graffiti art in Los Angeles to his time living in Japan, shaping his ability to bridge disparate cultural and historical contexts.
BPA:
The sculpture shifts with light, weather, and season. How important is this sense of change and impermanence to the piece? and to your work in general?
BIGGERS:
Unsui (Mirror) is a reflection on change and continuity. The shimmering clouds evoke a sense of constant motion and reformation, while also offering a stillness that invites reflection and interpretation. By engaging with this work, I hope people are reminded of the cyclical nature of life, the way memories and experiences shape our identities, just as clouds shape and reshape the sky.
BPA:
How did your collaboration with Buckhorn Public Arts and Aspen Public Art shape the development of Unsui (Mirror)?
BIGGERS:
The installation of Unsui (Mirror) in Aspen emerged from a partnership between Buckhorn Public Arts and the City of Aspen. Buckhorn, along with the Desert X Biennial, were instrumental in the production of the artwork, which led to an exciting opportunity to bring the sculptures to Aspen, where they experienced a sunny green summer, the vibrant hues of fall, and snowfall! Collaborating with Buckhorn Public Arts and the City of Aspen brought the works through their first year with all of the seasons and I’m grateful for that.
BPA:
Clouds are a recurring motif in your practice. What draws you to this imagery, and how does it evolve in Unsui (Mirror)?
Biggers:
I see clouds as symbols of potential and ephemerality. "Unsui" means “clouds and water” in Japanese, and these elements are recurring motifs in my work, representing freedom, fluidity, and interconnectedness. The piece is inspired by my study of Zen Buddhism, where clouds symbolize both unencumbered movement and transcendence and Unsui also references a wandering monk that "...drifts like clouds and flows like water".
The mirrored sequin-covered surfaces and forms allow the sculpture to shift and change with light, weather, and the viewer’s perspective and reflects not only the visual, but the wind environment as well through the jingling of the sequins.
Unsui mirrors the way memory and identity shift and evolve over time, constantly fluid, just as clouds move through the sky.
BPA:
What does it mean to you to create work that is freely accessible in public space?
BIGGERS:
Public art is crucial because it brings art directly into everyday life as an accessible and free experience.
Public art can spark dialogue, inspire reflection, and even challenge preconceived notions. In this case, Unsui (Mirror) invited viewers to experience art in the midst of nature, creating a dialogue between the two and offering a space where both the art and the environment can influence and reflect each other.
It's about creating shared experiences that resonate with a wide range of people, regardless of their background or knowledge of art.
Unsui (Mirror)
June 2, 2025 April 20, 2026
Paepcke Park East Hopkins Avenue Aspen, CO, 81611
Co-presented in Aspen by Aspen Public Art and Buckhorn Public Arts.
Special thanks: Parks + Open Space: City of Aspen Engineering: Evolve Structural Design Locating: Roaring Fork Utility Locators Earthmoving + Footers: Stutsman Gerbaz Concrete: Casey Concrete Art Installation: Juno Works Lodging: Mollie Aspen.
Courtesy of the Artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery.
A film by Dylan H. Brown