DERRICK ADAMS (B.1970)

In Sing It Like You Mean It, a vintage wood paneled television features a long-haired woman mid-song on a stage reminiscent of a variety show from the Sixties. The television test pattern known as EG 1:1990, or Engineering Guideline Alignment Color Bar, staggers to create depth of field for the songstress. These colors are used for setting a television monitor to reproduce colors and light levels accurately. This interplay between a historical conception of chromatic rendering with a Black singer commanding the stage speaks to the heart of Adams’ work.