I was sorely disappointed to not have a chance to see contemporary artist Derrick Adams spring exhibition, Patrick Kelly: A Journey, when SCAD FASH closed in March. However, with the museum reopening, the exhibit has been extended until the end of the year. It’s one of my favorite recent examples of how an artist can take an interest in a compelling story and create a body of work.
I found I had the museum mainly to myself and was able to enjoy the exhibit, alongside Alaia-Adrian: Master of Cut. It was a wonderful prequel to our upcoming virtual conversation with Derrick Adams and Danny Simmons on Chain Letters on Monday, October 26th.
Derrick Adams is a Brooklyn based artist, whose multidisciplinary work is critically admired, meaning he’s hot right now in the art world. The exhibit is based on Adams’s extensive research into the archive of the influential African-American fashion designer Patrick Kelly (1954–1990), Kelly was a groundbreaking designer, the first American to be admitted to the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter, the prestigious governing body of the French ready-to-wear industry.
Adams immersed himself in the archives of Kelly’s correspondence, sketches, fabric swatches and photos at the Schomburg Center in New York. The exhibition presents Adams’ large-scale abstract collages and sculptural works that incorporate Kelly’s vintage clothing patterns, iconic fabrics, bold colors, geometric forms and embellishments.
Kelly spent several formative years in Atlanta in the 1970s, and the exhibition highlights his connection to the city through a selection of his original pieces and memorabilia on loan from his friend, Atlanta resident Carol Martin, who recalled: “I admired Patrick’s tenacity to get his name out there, back in the day before clothing lines were even called brands, I was mesmerized by how he would make something you thought wouldn’t work, but it would always work.”
The museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm with timed ticketing and safety protocols in place. www.scadfash.org