Melissa Machnee Sculpture
Artist Statement & Bio
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Melissa Machnee Sculpture Artist Statement & Bio |
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Melissa
Machnee is a sculptor from the Detroit area. In 2008, Melissa received her MFA
in Sculpture from Eastern Michigan University. She received her Welding
Fabrication Certificate from Schoolcraft Community College in 2007, and in 2002
she received her BFA in Sculpture from Wayne State University. Melissa is
currently teaching welding at Schoolcraft Community College. She also serves on
the board for the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit. Melissa
is a third generation welder. She works primarily with metal and fabrics. Her
sculptures suggest similarities between the welding and sewing industries. She
uses the raw masculine qualities of the welding industry and nurtures it with
the soft feminine qualities of the fashion industry. Along
with the industrial influence in Melissa’s work she uses animal images to
reference nature and symbolic powers that animals have. She often uses images
of bunnies as a reference to innocence, fun and creativity. Melissa
is very interested in outdoor sculpture and installation work. She currently
has a semi-private sculpture park called The Goose Lake Sculpture Park. She
hopes to open it up to other artists work someday. As a third
generation welder and seamstress, I am fascinated with the welding and fashion
industries. I see many similarities in the way that these products are produced
and used. I use the raw masculine qualities of the metal industry and nurture
it with the soft feminine qualities of the fashion industry. Combining these
materials together make me question different roles that we play in society. Industry plays an
important role in my work but animals are an everyday occurrence for me.
Bunnies symbolize creativity, Intelligence and wit. This animal reminds me to
have fun and be creative. Another animal that I am attracted to is the deer. I
often see them in the wild. The deer symbolizes unconditional love and
compassion. They remind me about the strength and compassion that exists in the
world. They have a natural
connection to humans that are unique from person to person. Using a variety of animals
has helped me uncover the different meanings that animals have and the roles
that they play in our world. I use Animal Spirit Guides and Astrology as a
guide to help uncover their many different meanings. There are many
different artists today that I admire. Many of them use humor, color, and
animals. Some of the artists that I admire for this are, Mike Kelley, Sylvie
Fleury, Matthew Barney and Jeff Koons. Each of them use similar techniques to
help enlighten their work. I am
investigating the power of attraction. What are you
attracted to and why? |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
