This acrylic painting over carving on a wood board by Charles Gillam Sr., depicts Fats Domino (February 26, 1928–October 24, 2017) playing the piano on the roof of his flooded New Orleans studio during the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
Ain't That a Shame
- Description
- Acrylic painting over carving on a wood board depicts Fats Domino playing the piano on the roof of his flooded studio. Outlines of figures and objects are carved into the wood, then painted over. Fats Domino is wearing a turquoise suit and is playing a white piano labelled "Steinway". Over his head are the words "Ain't that a shame." His studio, a small yellow house, is surrounded by water and framed by two telephone poles, complete with wires that are breaking off at the top. The studio has a sign in the front window that reads "Fats Domino Studio" and a sign over the door that reads "studio." In front of the house is a bright pink Cadillac, being flooded by water. There are small indistinct objects floating in the water in the foreground. The artist has signed the work on the bottom right. There is a small natural knot hole through the board at bottom left.
- Data Source
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Created by
- Charles Gillam Sr., American
- Subject of
- Fats Domino, American, 1928 - 2017
- Date
- 2005 - 2012
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Medium
- acrylic paint on wood
- Dimensions
- H x W: 24 15/16 x 14 x 13/16 in. (63.3 x 35.6 x 2.1 cm)
- Type
- paintings
