Hood Quarterly, winter 2004
Terry Adkins was the Artist-in-Residence at Dartmouth College during the summer of 2003. A memorable exhibition of his work took place in the Jaffe-Friede and Strauss Galleries in Hopkins Center at that time, and Still (2000) was a centerpiece of that project.
Adkins is a well-respected sculptor whose installations and assemblages are characterized by a profound sensitivity to found objects and a deep, highly personal appreciation for African American history. This alluring floor piece combines three rather homely elements: a perforated steel platform of uncertain origin, a large blown-glass orb with raw cork stoppers, and an ample supply of dark Canadian whiskey. These unconventional materials are put into a rough, minimalist balance in Adkins's practice.
The first large-scale sculpture by an African American artist to enter the Hood's permanent collection, Still joins an impressive group of freestanding modern objects, including singular works by Richard Serra, Sol LeWitt, Yayoi Kusama, George Segal, and Ursula von Rydingsvard.