On Sunday night, June 19, Desmond Lewis lit up the skies of Greenwood Mississippi with a spectacular firework performance. Lewis is a Memphis-based artist, primarily a sculptor.
He creates works that are forged, carved, fabricated, and cast from industrial materials. His objects wed concrete to steel, wood, and rebar (Times).
“America’s Forgotten” (2017), one of his most well-known sculptures, sits on campus at the University of Memphis, where Lewis received his Master of Fine Arts degree. It stands 16 feet tall and features a vertical cylinder of concrete embellished with chains made from steel. “Bout that split tho,” (2021) is another one of Lewis’ artworks which features a block of pocked and striated concrete anchoring a piece of steel.
His sculptures represent the complex national narratives surrounding African American labor histories. He believes that the truth of African Americans and how they were treated are often covered up, just like concrete, which is “massaged to look pristine.” His pieces, which often look ruined, expose the reality of how certain materials like concrete actually look. He hopes his art reminds others that underneath “truths” of African American labor there are many uncovered dark secrets.
Lewis acquired interest in pyrotechnics while he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, a highly selective school for emerging artists in rural Maine. He began conducting experiments in the summer of 2018 to investigate how an explosion could be rendered culturally. According to a Times article, “Lewis sought licensures in multiple Southeastern states and eventually his federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Type 54 license, which allows him to — in conjunction with a commercial driver’s license bearing a hazardous materials endorsement — purchase, transport and shoot professional-grade fireworks.”
Earlier this year, the City Council in Greenwood voted down measures to fund pyrotechnics on Juneeteenth and July 4, which would have cost $25,000, according to news reports. More than 70 percent of Greenwood’s 1,400 residents identify as black and nearly 30 percent of the population lives under the poverty line. Lewis decided to create a fireworks show on Juneteenth to bring the city together and enjoy fireworks on an important holiday for the people in the community.
After the performance, Greenwood’s Mayor Carolyn McAdams said, “it is a wonderful event for Greenwood,” and went on to say, “it was a well-attended event, safe and catered toward people enjoying life with friends and family.” In the future, Lewis wants to continue honoring the holiday and organizing events like the one in Greenwood.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656879525325x810575523515728800/A%20Sculptor%20Takes%20His%20Craft%20to%20the%20Skies%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
He creates works that are forged, carved, fabricated, and cast from industrial materials. His objects wed concrete to steel, wood, and rebar (Times).
“America’s Forgotten” (2017), one of his most well-known sculptures, sits on campus at the University of Memphis, where Lewis received his Master of Fine Arts degree. It stands 16 feet tall and features a vertical cylinder of concrete embellished with chains made from steel. “Bout that split tho,” (2021) is another one of Lewis’ artworks which features a block of pocked and striated concrete anchoring a piece of steel.
His sculptures represent the complex national narratives surrounding African American labor histories. He believes that the truth of African Americans and how they were treated are often covered up, just like concrete, which is “massaged to look pristine.” His pieces, which often look ruined, expose the reality of how certain materials like concrete actually look. He hopes his art reminds others that underneath “truths” of African American labor there are many uncovered dark secrets.
Lewis acquired interest in pyrotechnics while he attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, a highly selective school for emerging artists in rural Maine. He began conducting experiments in the summer of 2018 to investigate how an explosion could be rendered culturally. According to a Times article, “Lewis sought licensures in multiple Southeastern states and eventually his federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Type 54 license, which allows him to — in conjunction with a commercial driver’s license bearing a hazardous materials endorsement — purchase, transport and shoot professional-grade fireworks.”
Earlier this year, the City Council in Greenwood voted down measures to fund pyrotechnics on Juneeteenth and July 4, which would have cost $25,000, according to news reports. More than 70 percent of Greenwood’s 1,400 residents identify as black and nearly 30 percent of the population lives under the poverty line. Lewis decided to create a fireworks show on Juneteenth to bring the city together and enjoy fireworks on an important holiday for the people in the community.
After the performance, Greenwood’s Mayor Carolyn McAdams said, “it is a wonderful event for Greenwood,” and went on to say, “it was a well-attended event, safe and catered toward people enjoying life with friends and family.” In the future, Lewis wants to continue honoring the holiday and organizing events like the one in Greenwood.
Sources: https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1656879525325x810575523515728800/A%20Sculptor%20Takes%20His%20Craft%20to%20the%20Skies%20-%20The%20New%20York%20Times.pdf
