Each piece of sculptor Melvin Edwards’ work has a story. Sometimes it’s technical, about how an installation was constructed or a piece was welded. Sometimes it’s the meaning behind a title. It could be tied to movement or material, scale or color, geography or language. But for every single piece of his artwork, Edwards has a story.
This week, Edwards has at least 12 additional stories to tell, context for each of the new works in In Oklahoma. (The exhibition opens Thursday, Oct. 20 and runs through Dec. 27 at Oklahoma Contemporary.) These new pieces will be displayed together with a group of works that he produced over the past 30 years.
Edwards is known for his creation of powerful abstract sculptures from common materials, including scrap metal and barbed wire. He created many of the In Oklahoma works onsite, in Oklahoma Contemporary’s gallery or in a nearby studio, from materials he found in Oklahoma City scrapyards. Though new, the works reflect ideas and visual forms he’s been developing for more than 50 years. Edwards’ first half-century of work was recently chronicled in a nationally touring retrospective that began at the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas.
A media kit including this release and high-resolution photos of Edwards and his works, is at bit.ly/OCEdwardsDrop. (Oct. 20, 2016)