Them Changes

This mixed media piece belongs to a body of works on paper that reveals another dimension of Barkley L. Hendricks. Largely unknown until recently, these works on paper (watercolors, collages and drawings) were made at the same time he was painting his bold, life-sized portraits for which he is widely recognized. They were concurrent practices that balanced one another, demonstrating his artistic range and love of experimentation. The works on paper show the same attention to composition and detail as his paintings, but by combining text, drawing, and found materials, they further exhibit his improvisational flair and conceptual interests. Reflecting the current events and popular culture of the era, references range from the 1950s television police drama Dragnet to the 1970 album Them Changes by R&B composer Buddy Miles. The results are at once witty, irreverent, contemplative and intimate.