Created in 1989, Chasing the Blue Train covered the entrance landing of the exhibit making it the largest installation on display though its dimensions vary upon each exhibit. The modest piece included five-six pianos with boom boxes attached, each playing a different Coltrane composition: including “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” and “Body and Soul”.
As the petite blue locomotive made its way along the tracks, it disappears and reappears behind piano lids into a coal-lined tunnel. Hammons often incorporated his African-American heritage into his pieces. He emphasized on Black empowerment, racial injustice, and struggle.
Chasing was layered in historic symbolism which could be interpreted as narrations of the Industrial Revolution represented by the coal tunnel. This represented the start of the Harlem Renaissance around the time the “A” line was built on 125th street. Hammons commented on many areas regarding history and the progression of American culture.
text source rainemagazine.com
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