Derrick Adams Installation Comes to Ford Foundation Live Gallery
By: Julie Musbach Sep. 10, 2018
Derrick Adams: Patrick Kelly, The Journey is based on Brooklyn-based artist Derrick Adams's extensive research into the archive of the influential African-American fashion designer Patrick Kelly (1954-1990), housed at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Featuring abstract collage works on paper framed with glazing, the first show in this series was first presented by The Studio Museum in Harlem.
"Having once been partners in life and business with the late fashion designer, Patrick Kelly, and as the current Creative Director of New York Live Arts, it was my delight to see how Patrick's creativity inspired an artist of Derrick Adams's caliber. I am delighted that we can present the meeting of these two influential artists in our lobby," says Bjorn G. Amelan.
At the center of Patrick Kelly, The Journey is Adams's "Mood Board" series, a collection of pieces in response to Kelly's formalist presentation, which was informed by social commentary and humor. These abstract collages utilize Kelly's vintage clothing patterns, as well as his iconic fabrics, striking palettes, and geometric profiles. The installation pays homage to Kelly's formal prowess while displaying Adams' continued exploration of deconstructing, and manipulating structure and surface.
Derrick Adams is a multidisciplinary New York-based artist working in performance, video, sound and 2D and 3D realms. His practice focuses on the fragmentation and manipulation of structure and surface, exploring self image and forward projection.
A recipient of a 2009 Louis Comfort Tiffany Award, and 2016 Studio Museum's Joyce Alexander Wein Prize, Adams received his MFA from Columbia University, BFA from Pratt Institute, and is a Skowhegan and Marie Walsh Sharpe alum.
He's exhibited and/or performed at MoMA PS1, Brooklyn Museum of Art, PERFORMA, Studio Museum in Harlem, Brooklyn Academy of Music, California African American Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Arts and Design, and Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. Adams' work is in the permanent collections of Studio Museum in Harlem, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Birmingham Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Whitney Museum of American Art.
Located in the heart of Chelsea in New York City, New York Live Arts is an internationally recognized destination for innovative artistry. New York Live Arts produces and presents dance, music and theater performances, offers an extensive range of participatory programs for adults and young people, supports the continuing professional development of artists and serves as home for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company.
Image: Ebony Fashion Fair 1, 2017
Derrick Adams
Mixed media collage on paper
60 x 40 inches
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