Throw It in the Creek, c. 1938, oil/board, 22" x 28"
Private Collection

Probably contemporary with Delaney's paintings from the 1930's of narrations of black colloquialisms, this painting is a departure from Delaney's early moody palette to a fauvist palette. The title alludes to the feeling that if something gets bad enough it should be thrown away, i.e., "in the creek." 39

The three central female figures seem to be parading themselves and illustrate Joe's admiration for big-hipped women.