Bas Relief c. 1938

Edward Loper's "Bas Relief" presents us with a drawing of a cannon, upon which sits a bird, its gaze turned downwards. Loper, an African American artist born in Wilmington Delaware, spent his life negotiating the currents of segregation and the civil rights movement. His personal experiences undoubtedly influenced his artistic vision, as did his location in Delaware where the impact of the civil war still lingered in social dynamics. Here, the juxtaposition of the symbols of war and peace becomes a meditation on the ongoing tensions between conflict and harmony. The bird atop the cannon offers a poignant counterpoint to the cannon's destructive potential. The decision to render this image as a ‘bas relief’—a sculpture where the figures project slightly from a background—further complicates its message. What does it mean to memorialize the tension between war and peace? Loper invites us to consider the emotional weight of history and the potential for transformation and hope amidst ongoing social struggles.