The Ogden Museum of Southern Art reopened Monday, June 15, after locking its doors for three months to help suppress the coronavirus contagion.
“What Music is From Within: Black Abstraction from the Permanent Collection” is a selection of works by 14 black artists from across the South, including several well-known New Orleans artists. “Crossroads” is a solo show by nationally renowned black sculptor Melvin Edwards.
The two exhibits reaffirm the contributions of black contemporary artists to contemporary American culture. They also remind us that black artists have not always received their due in the art marketplace and museum world. The shows were certainly relevant when they were first installed. But as street demonstrations against police brutality and white supremacy have swept the world, they seem especially on point.
Artist Melvin Edwards, 83, was born in rural Texas, studied art at the University of Southern California and 50 years ago was the first black American sculptor to present a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. His medium is old-fashioned blacksmithing, which directly connects him with his background.
As Ogden curator Bradley Sumrall explained, Edwards discovered his great-great-great-grandfather had been a blacksmith in Africa, before being brought to America as a slave. Edwards’ abstract wrought-iron sculptures embody that connection, which he further explored by buying a farm in Senegal. His extemporaneous wrought-iron sculptures, assembled from plow blades, rakes, horseshoes, railroad spikes and chain unite his experiences in the farm country of the South with experiences in Africa and the history of slavery.
