We Shall Overcome – Original Mixed-Media Abstract Painting on Canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke
About This Artwork
I created We Shall Overcome in 2020 as part of my Lost in Translation series, during a period of isolation and uncertainty. The work draws on the hymn’s long history as a song of perseverance and collective hope.
Across the canvas, layered marks gather into a close field of forms. Warm reds and ochres meet cooler blues and greens. Some shapes suggest people standing near one another; others remain abstract, emerging from the texture and then slipping back into it. The image holds both nearness and uncertainty.
I was thinking about how people endure difficult times together, even when they cannot be physically close. The layers became a way to hold personal feeling alongside a wider experience of grief, fear, and persistence. We Shall Overcome does not suggest that struggle simply disappears. It stays with the effort to keep moving through it, and with the hope that connection can still be made.
Artwork Details
Artist: Erin McGrath Rieke
Title: We Shall Overcome
Year Created: 2020
Medium: Mixed media on canvas
Artwork Size: 16 W × 20 H × 1.5 D in
Style: Contemporary Abstract
Palette: Blue, green, red, ochre, and neutral tones
Subject: Collective experience, resilience, hope, and connection
Series: Lost in Translation
Original Artwork: One-of-a-kind
Frame: Optional; not included in the collector price
Original Collector Artwork
This is a singular, one-of-a-kind painting created by Erin McGrath Rieke. Its layered materials, textures, and original marks exist only on the canvas. Any future prints will be clearly identified as reproductions.
A signed certificate of authenticity documenting the title, medium, dimensions, series, and original status of the work is included with the purchase.
Additional Information
The clustered forms invite a closer look. Some seem to gather together, while others remain indistinct within the surface. Their shifting edges echo the way shared experience can bring people near without making their individual stories the same.
As part of Lost in Translation, We Shall Overcome explores how emotion and memory move between personal and collective life. Its layered surface gives those feelings a place to meet.
Collector Price
$1,400 with shipping included
The price includes the original unframed artwork, signed certificate of authenticity, protective packaging, handling, insurance, and standard ground delivery to one address within the contiguous United States.
Shipping and Local Pickup
The listed price includes standard insured delivery from St. Louis to one address within the contiguous United States. Framing, expedited transportation, or unusual delivery requirements may require an additional charge arranged with the collector before shipment.
Complimentary local pickup is available in the St. Louis area by prior arrangement. Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and international destinations must be quoted separately.
Fine-Art Prints
Open-edition archival prints of We Shall Overcome may be offered separately. Prints are reproductions and do not include the original canvas or its certificate of authenticity.
We Shall Overcome – Original Mixed-Media Abstract Painting on Canvas by Erin McGrath Rieke
About This Artwork
I created We Shall Overcome in 2020 as part of my Lost in Translation series, during a period of isolation and uncertainty. The work draws on the hymn’s long history as a song of perseverance and collective hope.
Across the canvas, layered marks gather into a close field of forms. Warm reds and ochres meet cooler blues and greens. Some shapes suggest people standing near one another; others remain abstract, emerging from the texture and then slipping back into it. The image holds both nearness and uncertainty.
I was thinking about how people endure difficult times together, even when they cannot be physically close. The layers became a way to hold personal feeling alongside a wider experience of grief, fear, and persistence. We Shall Overcome does not suggest that struggle simply disappears. It stays with the effort to keep moving through it, and with the hope that connection can still be made.
Artwork Details
Artist: Erin McGrath Rieke
Title: We Shall Overcome
Year Created: 2020
Medium: Mixed media on canvas
Artwork Size: 16 W × 20 H × 1.5 D in
Style: Contemporary Abstract
Palette: Blue, green, red, ochre, and neutral tones
Subject: Collective experience, resilience, hope, and connection
Series: Lost in Translation
Original Artwork: One-of-a-kind
Frame: Optional; not included in the collector price
Original Collector Artwork
This is a singular, one-of-a-kind painting created by Erin McGrath Rieke. Its layered materials, textures, and original marks exist only on the canvas. Any future prints will be clearly identified as reproductions.
A signed certificate of authenticity documenting the title, medium, dimensions, series, and original status of the work is included with the purchase.
Additional Information
The clustered forms invite a closer look. Some seem to gather together, while others remain indistinct within the surface. Their shifting edges echo the way shared experience can bring people near without making their individual stories the same.
As part of Lost in Translation, We Shall Overcome explores how emotion and memory move between personal and collective life. Its layered surface gives those feelings a place to meet.
Collector Price
$1,400 with shipping included
The price includes the original unframed artwork, signed certificate of authenticity, protective packaging, handling, insurance, and standard ground delivery to one address within the contiguous United States.
Shipping and Local Pickup
The listed price includes standard insured delivery from St. Louis to one address within the contiguous United States. Framing, expedited transportation, or unusual delivery requirements may require an additional charge arranged with the collector before shipment.
Complimentary local pickup is available in the St. Louis area by prior arrangement. Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and international destinations must be quoted separately.
Fine-Art Prints
Open-edition archival prints of We Shall Overcome may be offered separately. Prints are reproductions and do not include the original canvas or its certificate of authenticity.
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