American Art of the 20th Century

We Know, 1986, from the Lynch Fragments series Melvin Edwards (born 1937) Welded steel, 10 7/8 x 10 x 7 7/8 inches Gift of Mike and Rob Abel, 2006

In Melvin Edwards’ We Know, 1986, it is the threatening aspect that one notices first. Jagged and pointed and asymmetrical, the metal sculpture confronts the viewer from the wall. (Edwards insists that these works be hung at eye level.) Only after sustained consideration does the artist’s expertise in metalworking become apparent. The aggressive attitude is appropriate to the subject; this work is drawn from the artist’s Lynch Fragments series, which he began in 1963. In the Lynch Fragments, Edwards combined welded elements and found objects to create sculptures that evoke farm implements and the shackles of bondage.