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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Digital Archive Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980
Art Melvin Edwards, August the Squared Fire
August the Squared Fire, by Melvin Edwards, 1965

Melvin Edwards, Artist
August the Squared Fire , 1965

Medium
Steel
Dimensions
64 x 45 x 22 in. (162.6 x 114.3 x 55.9 cm)
Credit Line
Courtesy of the artist and Alexander Gray Associates, New York. Photo by Tim Nighswander/IMAGING4ART, Courtesy of the artist and Alexander Gray Associates

The contours of August the Squared Fire curve and twist around an invisible axis, framed by strong rectilinear forms. The title of this work refers to the Watts uprising of 1965, and the formal arrangement of the steel structure is analogous to the destruction of 103rd Street in Watts.