Out of the Struggles of the Past to a Brilliant Future
- Stainless steel, brick
- 204 x 393 x 69 in
- Melvin Edwards
“Out of the Struggles of the Past to a Brilliant Future” by Melvin Edwards features a large abstract metal structure composed in an arch formation including flat pieces of metal and oversized stylized chain links. The piece was Edward’s first large major public art commission, though he is best known for his ongoing series of small-scale reliefs, “Lynch Fragments.” He began the series in the 1960’s as a way to express his concerns about racial violence and the civil rights movement.
Melvin Edwards is highly respected as a pioneer in the history of contemporary African-American art and sculpture. His work has been shown nationally and internationally at a variety of major galleries and museums including his 1970 solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was the first solo exhibition at the Whitney to feature an African American sculptor.
- Created: 1982
- Current Location: Mt. Vernon Plazza (google map)
- Collections: Outdoor, Sculptures