PR was introduced to the paintings of Douglas Melini from The Difficult Shapes of Possible Images, the 2006 show he organized at ZieherSmith, that was a collective preview of some of the most interesting NYC-based artists working with abstraction today. We dropped by his Bushwick studio earlier this summer to talk painting and gain some perspective into his working process.
Untitled, 2009
acrylic on canvas and wood, 23.5” x 19.5”
Detail
Drawings, masks, inspiration
Geometric linear elements have long been a hallmark in Melini's work, but the latest paintings reveal a complex space through folded pattern-work, stimulating color vibrations and iconic symmetry. Color choice is something the artist spends time meditating on before starting the painting, while allowing himself to remain as open as possible to make the necessary adjustments along the way.
The collection of masks that Melini has adorned on his studio walls work their way into the paintings that give them a real shamanic quality. But rather than concealing identity, they seem to reflect the history and personal ideals of the artist and are a striking symbolic representation of non-representational painting.
New painting sketch and measurements
Work in progress
In conjunction with It Flows Over Us Without Meaning, his November 2009 solo exhibition at Minus Space, Doug sat down for a conversation with Matthew Deleget to discuss his paintings and how a terrible studio flood led to him creating hand-painted frames in his work:
"Although the damage was throughout, the majority of it was on the sides. I had used this black gaffers tape to keep the sides clean, and apparently the tape has an ink in it which makes it black, and when the water hit it, it bled all over the sides. This damage made me think a lot about the sides of the painting, I guess you could say that a seed was planted, and because of this, I started to think of frames and what it means for a painting to be framed.
So, when I began to think and plan the new works, I imagined them with frames from the start. I knew I wanted the new paintings to function more like interiors and the frames really allowed me to achieve this, creating a border, a kind of viewfinder type of space, keeping the information on the inside. And you know, I really like the turtle. It’s a very interesting creature. The shell is obviously a protective layer, but it’s such a distinct part of their overall appearance. What would a turtle look like without its shell? Anyway, when I set out to paint the frames, I wanted a pattern that would repeat around it. I used a diagonal to divide the spaces, creating a triangular motif for the outside that I could use as an opposition to the information on the inside. And the bands on the sides are very important because they activate the sides, so that when you move around the object it remains visually active from all vantage points."
Seashells, whiskey, music
Frank Stella Totem Pole
The artist in his studio
Untitled (Cyclops), 2010
acrylic on canvas and wood, 23.5” x 19.5”
Untitled (Abstract Painting No. 14), 2009
acrylic on canvas and wood, 23” x 19”
Detail
Past exhibitions include shows at White Columns, Hal Bromm, and his work was included in Minus Space: A Survey of Reductive and Post Minimal Work, curated by Phong Bui at PS1/MOMA. This September, he will participate in an group show at Geoffrey Young Gallery in Great Barrington, MA.
- Vince Contarino, 07.30.10