The Art and Jazz of Derrick Adams

Regardless of all the things that are happening to Black people around the world, we
still find time to connect with each other. If we were constantly in this place of battle, we
really couldn’t exist. We need time to replenish our love and faith and joy.”- Derrick Adams

FOUR HARLEM RENAISSANCE ARTISTS WALK INTO PRAISE HOUSE
SCULPTORS OF PAINT N’ CLAY, AARON DOUGLAS AND AUGUSTA SAVAGE
PAINTERS JACOB LAWRENCE AND ROMARE BEARDEN,
BEARDEN HAD JUST FINISHED HIS LATEST COLLAGE WITH ITS PATCH OF ATAVISTIC
BLUE
(RIGHT AT THE CENTER OF THE WORK)
THEY ALL HAD FOUND THIS “BLUE” COLOR
THIS BLUE COLOR?

IT IS THE MIDDLE PASSAGE
MIDDLE PASSAGE BLUE… ACHE AND REUNION
DERRICK ADAMS HAS FOUND THIS COLOR TOO

ADAMS’ SERIES OF CANVASES AT THE MFA IMMERSE YOU IN THIS BAPTISM OF LEISURE
THE IRONIC SMILES OF THE VARIOUS BUOYANT FLOATERS
PAY MOSTLY TIGHT LIP HOMAGE TO THE “BLM” FLOATERS WHO WERE NOT AS BUOYANT
THE “BLM” SWIMMERS AT THAT FLORIDA MOTEL SWIMMING POOL
WHERE THE PROPRIETOR ADDED DANGEROUS CHEMICALS (ACID) TO THE BLUE
WHILE THEY WERE IN THE POOL

THE STARTLED, YET DEFIANT MASKS OF DERRICK ADAMS’ BUOYANT FLOATERS
CONFRONT AND GAZE DIRECTLY AT THE VIEWERS
THERE IS NO DISCERNIBLE HORIZON OR EDGE TO THE POOL THEY ARE IN
THERE IS NO EDGE TO THIS  ATAVISTIC BLUE
TO WHAT ZORA NEALE HURSTON CALLS THE “EPIC OF DISPLACEMENT”
THE DISPLACEMENT OF AFRICAN PEOPLE TO SOME OTHER WHERE…

SOME OF WHAT YOU’LL SEE

 

Derrick Adams (American, b. 1970), Floater 66, 2018, Acrylic paint and collage on paper, Collection of D. Rebecca Davies and Jeremy Kramer

FLOATER # 66 TWO HANDSOME MALE FIGURES
ONE ENCIRCLED (CONTAINED) BY A WATERMELON FLOATER, THE OTHER BROTHER MAN,
LEGS AKIMBO, RECLINING (SEDUCTION) ON A MULTI COLORED RAFT
THE VIEWER SERIOUSLY DRAWN TOWARDS THE AREA OF HIS CROTCH

 

Derrick Adams (American, b. 1970), Floater 17, 2016, Mixed media collage on paper, Pizzuti Collection

FLOATERS #17 AND #28
TWO BEAUTIFUL SISTER WOMEN SUGGESTIVLY HOLDING (GRASPING) THE NECK
OF THEIR INFLATABLE PLASTIC AQUATIC ANIMALS…
HOUSE OR FIELD SOMETIMES YOU JUST GOT TO HOLD ON!
B U O Y A N T!
YOU KNOW LIKE SALLY HEMMINGS AND COUNTLESS OTHERS… BUOYANT!

 

Derrick Adams (American, b. 1970), Floater 19, 2016, Acrylic paint and collage on paper, Pizzuti Collection

FLOATER #19
BROTHER MAN IN A SKINTIGHT SPEEDO BATHING COSTUME WITH THE STARS AND STRIPES RUNNING UP THE CRACK OF HIS BEHIND… INVITING ALL TO JUST “KISS IT”! BUOYANT INDEED!

 

Floater 74 in Derrick Adams Buoyant at the MFA St. Petersburg
“Floater 74” in Derrick Adams Buoyant at the MFA St. Petersburg

FLOATER #74
A QUARTET OF LARGE ACRYLIC PAINT AND FABRIC COLLAGES ON PAPER
SOME OF THE “BLM”  ARE REUNITED IN THE BLUE
ALL SEEMING TO HAVE FOUND THE PURPOSE OF THIS PLUNGE INTO THE WATER
STAY BUOYANT!
STAY BUOYANT
STAY BUOYANT

LOUIS ARMSTRONG FOUND IT
ARETHA FRANKLIN FOUND IT
DUKE ELLINGTON FOUND IT
JOSEPHINE BAKER AND KATHERINE DUNHAM FOUND IT
AND PRINCE HAD FOUND IT TOO, A SHAMAN WHO NO LONGER WEARS HIS BLUE SUEDE SHOES

SO BACK AT PRAISE HOUSE
THE HARLEM ARTIST WERE GATHERED
READY TO PICK THE TALL COTTON
THEY WERE FIXIN’ TO PASS THE TORCH, TO DERRICK ADAMS

THEY WERE WAITIN’ ON LANGSTON
WHO APPARENTLY HAS BEEN DELAYED OR RATHER DEFERRED BY A CONVERSATION
A CONVERSATION HE WAS HAVING WITH ZORA NEALE HURSTON
A CONVERSATION ABOUT JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT
AND THE WAY HE SPOKE THE BLUES IN HIS PAINTINGS AND ALL THOSE HAITIAN “Papa Legba” CROWNS

THE FOLKS WAITIN’ ON LANGSTON
WELL, THAT’S  ALL JUST TOTALLY FINE WITH THEM
BECAUSE YOU SEE, THE FOUR OF THEM ARE AT PRAISE HOUSE
TO DISCUSS HOW TO PASS THE TORCH TO DERRICK ADAMS
WHO HAS ARRIVED AT LAST, TWICE AGAIN, FOR THE FIRST TIME,
AND THEY ARE BUOYANT
BUOYANT!
BUOYANT! READY TO JAZZ
BUOYANT! READY TO JAR THE FLOOR
BUOYANT! READY TO SPEAK THE NAME OF ARTIST DERRICK ADAMS
AS SOON AS LANGSTON HUGHES ARRIVES WITH THE WATERMELON…
AND SOME SEVERAL WORDS REGARDING “BLM” BY DR MARTIN LUTHER KING
WORDS REPURPOSED FROM AN ARTICLE IN EBONY/LIFE/LOOK MAGAZINE
AN INSPIRING ANTECEDENT TO DERRICK ADAMS’ BUOYANT FLOATER SERIES
SO ALL OF US, EVERYONE LAST ONE OF US
WILL HAVE THE REQUISITE FRAMING TO VIEW THIS NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT WORK
PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS DELICIOUS EXHIBITION AT THE MFA
YES, YOU MAY GET WET… YOU BETTER!

BUT SO WHAT, YOU WILL ALL BE IN PRAISE HOUSE!!!

 

 

Derrick Adams (American, b. 1970), Floater 36, 2017, Acrylic paint and collage on paper, Collection of Audrey & Jeffrey Spiegel

 

Derrick Adams “Floater 78” in Derrick Adams Buoyant at the MFA St. Petersburg

 

Derrick Adams (American, b. 1970), Floater 80, 2018, Acrylic paint on paper, Collection of the artist

 

Explore Derrick Adams’ work 
at derrickadams.com

Find information on visiting the MFA safely at
mfastpete.org/welcome-back-to-the-mfa

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