Roy Adams hasn’t painted himself into any one corner as an artist.
Adams, who lives in Plant City, is no stranger to the paintbrush and sketchbook. He’s also a veteran assembler, printmaker and photographer whose commitment to visual storytelling has taken him around the world. Anyone who stops by Bruton Memorial Library this month can see that for themselves.
The library is highlighting Adams’ work this month on its designated “art wall,” located directly to the right of the main entrance doors. Those who turn that corner will see Adams’ takes on photography, paintings and collages.
Locals will recognize Dinosaur World, one of the award-winning artist’s favorite places to shoot photos, on the far right side of the wall.
One of the more intriguing pieces in the exhibit is a collage of neckties, plus one bandana, Adams put together on an off-white canvas and painted over to highlight the textures created by the fashion accessories. It’s an homage to a Robert Rauschenberg series he admired.
“Robert Rauschenberg did an airport series,” Adams said. “He’s an artist I like. He used one necktie and didn’t paint on it, he had other things on it. I decided to use multiple neckties and just use off-white paint. I glued them down… it’s minimalist.”
Adams also has several paintings on display, including an abstract piece, a portrait of a person done entirely from memory and more. Much of his work centers around a Native American theme, referencing his Cherokee heritage.
“This (portrait) is continuing on my Native American theme,” Adams said. “I have some prints I’ve made, teepees and arrow heads, and I did a large painting of a Native American dancer at the Strawberry Festival that’s on my website.”
Adams is a veteran of the Tampa Bay, Plant City and Lakeland arts scenes and has shown his work in exhibits around the world. He is currently putting together a collection of photos he took in the 1980s while traveling through Europe and the Middle East, which he hopes will soon be featured in several museums. He has also been experimenting with photography using vintage Russian lenses on a DSLR camera.
More of his art is viewable online at bit.ly/royadams.