Painter Derrick Adams has long been inspired by the sights and people of his Brooklyn neighborhood, from wig shops to the faces of his neighbors. Recent work on view at the Flag Art Foundation in Chelsea continues this interest while announcing a new direction; inspired by movies, Adams adds another layer of narrative and visual power to over a dozen new works that continue his exploration of Black leisure and joy in everyday life. One day while working on a photo shoot in a Brooklyn park, Adams observed a young Black couple installing and relaxing in a hammock. The scenario struck him as cinematic and inspired this happy ode to life’s pleasures enjoyed by the couple, a squirrel, pigeons and even a public monument. (On view through March 11th).
Derrick Adams, JUST, acrylic on wood panel, 95 x 71 7/8 inches, 2022.
Merrily Kerr is an art critic and writer based in New York. For more than 20 years, Merrily has published in international art magazines including Time Out New York, Art on Paper, Flash Art, Art Asia Pacific, Art Review, and Tema Celeste in addition to writing catalogue essays and guest lecturing. Merrily teaches art appreciation at Marymount Manhattan College and has taught for Cooper Union Continuing Education.
For more than a decade Merrily has crafted personalized tours of cultural discovery in New York's galleries and museums for individuals and groups, including corporate tours, collectors, artists, advertising agencies, and student groups from Texas Woman's University, Parsons School of Design, Chicago's Moody Institute, Cooper Union Continuing Education, Hunter College Continuing Education and other institutions. Merrily's tours have been featured in The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Sydney Morning Herald and Philadelphia Magazine.
Merrily is licensed by New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs as a tour guide and is a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA USA)
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