Melvin EdwardsAmerican, 1937–2026Afrophoenix No. 1
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Afrophoenix No. 1” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
In 1960 Melvin Edwards shifted his artistic practice from abstract painting to sculpture. Three years later,
Read on
he began Lynch Fragments, a series of welded steel assemblages made in response to the tumultuous social climate of the Civil Rights movement. Edwards addressed African American identity within an abstract sculptural language. Afrophoenix No. 1, one of the earliest objects from the series, exemplifies how the artist physically transformed found objects and brought them together in poetically suggestive, tension-filled compositions. Here the formal arrangement of steel elements evokes an equestrian bridle and bit. Chains, hammers, nails, spikes, and screws magnify the sculpture’s associative power, recalling implements of labor and torture. At the same time, the title references the mythological phoenix—alluding to death, rebirth, and transformation. Suggesting a range of meanings, the work demonstrates Edwards’s desire to fuse abstraction with personal and collective histories.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1997.411
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — © the artist or rights holder
