Sculptor Melvin Edwards, Known for Powerful 'Lynch Fragments,' Dies at 88

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Melvin Edwards, a celebrated sculptor known for his series of improvisational, wall-mounted steel sculptures called 'Lynch Fragments' that combined abstraction with powerful real-world references to violence against Black Americans, died on Monday at his home in Baltimore. He was 88 years old.

Why it matters

Edwards' 'Lynch Fragments' series, which he began creating in 1963, is considered a seminal body of work that wove Black history and experiences into abstract art. The sculptures' raw, visceral forms and materials like chains evoked the long, devastating legacy of racial violence in America, making them an important contribution to 20th century art.

The details

The 'Lynch Fragments' series featured asymmetrical groupings of abstract steel forms, including blobs, bars resembling tools, and blade-like triangles. One consistent element was the inclusion of a battered length of chain, which could evoke both violence and labor, connection and salvation. Though the sculptures engaged with American modernist sculpture, they also reflected Edwards' interest in West African metalwork and sculpture.

• Edwards created the first work in the 'Lynch Fragments' series in 1963.

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