Step Into ‘View Master,’ Derrick Adams’ Technicolor World of Black Joy
His first mid-career survey, now open at ICA Boston.
Summary
- New York-based artist Derrick Adams has unveiled View Master, his first mid-career survey, at ICA Boston
- Running through November 13, the exhibition features over 100 works created over the last two decades, spanning sculpture, painting, installation, video and performance
Baltimore-born, Brooklyn-based artist Derrick Adams is getting his flowers at ICA Boston with his first full survey show. The exhibition, dubbed View Master, brings together over 100 works created during the last two decades, making for a tender, cross-genre ode to the richness of Black American life.
Tapping into realms like pop culture, Black art history, domestic life and, notably, play, Adams turns everyday encounters into kaleidoscopic visual celebrations. He’s best known for his vibrant cubist portraits, though the ICA show pulls the full scope of his practice into focus, featuring panting, sculpture, collage, installation and performance.
For the occasion, the artist will also unveils never-before-seen works from his personal archive, alongside debuting customized immersive exhibition wallpapers and new works both within and beyond the museum. A monumental installation, also the ICA’s first major facade commission, will wrap the exterior of the museum through April 2027, while Adams’ beloved “Funtime Unicorn” riders are set to land this summer.
The exhibition moves through five thematic chapters that underpin the artist’s practice — “The Urban Landscape,” “Domestic Space & Family Life,” “Play,” “Performance,” and “Television & Media.” The name of the show, View Master, is a love letter to Charles Harrison, the Black industrial designer behind the 1958 revamp of the View Master toy, as well as the Black gaze that has anchored Adams’ art through the years.
“Adams’ use of bold colors, dynamic compositions and layered textures creates a powerful visual impact that underscores the depth of the Black experience,” said curators Dexter Wimberly and Tessa Bachi Haas. “His work invites visitors to see the beauty and strength in the everyday lives of Black people with a sense of humor and whimsy.”
Derrick Adams: View Master is now on view in Boston through November 13. The showcase arrives on the heels of the artist’s eponymous debut monograph, now available via Phaidon. Check out the museum’s website to secure your tickets.
Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
25 Harbor Shore Dr,
Boston, MA 02210
