"Mourning"
Walnut, cedar and steel
Height 10' 3"

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Professor of Sculpture at the University of Memphis since 1989, Greely Myatt earned his BFA from Delta State University, Cleveland, MS, and his MFA from the University of Mississippi. He has exhibited extensively in alternative art spaces, university galleries and museums.

"The sun comes up in a coffee cup…" the opening line from Lyle Lovett's song "I've been to Memphis", was one thing that inspired Mourning. There are many other factors and events that have informed this sculpture, as with all my work. The piece continues my investigation in combining vernacular with ar =historical references, humorous with tragic subjects, and any number of other contradictions. The title plays on the words morning, as in "good morning" and mourning, as in grief. The first is obvious in the reference to the lyrics of the song; the latter is a reference to the idea of a memorial. I intend for numerous readings of the sculpture to be possible.