Hers (Primary Title)
Lynching Fragment (Alternate Title)
Melvin Edwards, American, born 1937 (Artist)
In his series Lynching Fragments, artist Melvin “Mel” Edwards evokes the terrorism of lynching that has become part of the dark history of the South. In repurposing scraps of found metal and industrial debris, Edwards creates assemblages that hover between abstracted sculptural forms and human bodies, suspended in midair. Chains, nails, bolts, and other objects are assembled and fused together—as a unified collection. And, while the title conjures the horrendous acts of violence imposed upon Black bodies, Edwards’s inquiry does not end with the obvious abomination of that violence; he pushes viewers to explore the complex incitements to lynching, such as Black industrialization in the South and fears of Black economic power and mobility. Channeling a long lineage of blacksmithing in the South, Edwards juxtaposes labor and craftsmanship with these painful legacies.
A Conversation with Mel Edwards
7:45Interview with artist Mel Edwards conducted in November 2018 discussing his practice, career and work featured in the permanent collection.
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