A Symphony of Brotherhood visualises the worldwide protests that occurred in the summer of 2020 after the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sean Reed and Ahmaud Arbery. The painting seeks to represent the allyship that stemmed from these protests, demanding justice and freedom from oppression. The world chose to join what Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. called “a symphony of brotherhood.” The painting, A Symphony of Brotherhood is an abstracted narrative that illustrates the worldwide outpouring of empathy and Dr. King’s dream of humanity moving together in harmony.
Artist +-
Melody Croft
Croft credits her artistic style to the hundreds of young children she taught in her 30 years as a teacher. The daily interactions with children, and immersion into their concrete thinking, rests on her canvases set into a story. The use of text cites children storybooks where picture and text go hand-in-hand.
The presented works were created in the spirit of allyship with focus on the Black Lives Matter movement. As a whole, these oil paintings create an empathic narrative sparked from Croft's many years forming emotional connections with young African American children as a teacher. The heart of each work’s narrative is 'too,' meaning 'also'. It is the absent but implied word at the end of Black Lives Matter - and the artistic lens of each painting.
Since 2012, Croft's work has been in numerous exhibitions in Georgia, the Southeast, the Midwest, and New York City. In the summer of 2021, she had her first major solo exhibition entitled, TOO: An Orientation of Spirit. Later that year, NYC Phoenix Art Collective in New York City invited Croft to present this same exhibition virtually on their website. Croft's paintings have been published in several periodicals, newspapers, and as the cover for a book of poetry entitled, A Thousand Scattered Moments. Croft is a self-taught artist. She lives in Athens, Georgia and commutes daily to her art studio in Jefferson, Georgia.
Melody Croft’s work explores the notion of humanity with a lens of subjectively to observe human emotions. Her portraits and narrative paintings converge the real and the imagined to examine the status quo and social norms of modern life. Her paintings invite viewers to look and consider the psychological, sociological, or emotional complexities of race, gender, age, and culture.
Donation +-
Based on our agreement with the artist, 15% of the pre-VAT price excluding frames will be donated to support the Racial Justice Network.
Artwork Details +-
Finishing: Artwork will be delivered on an unframed stretched canvas and wire hanging system
Shipping: Delivery duration is 10-15 days within the US, 20-30 days for the rest of the world. Delivery to some countries will be subjected to additional import VAT and duties to be paid to the courier directly.