by Paul Seibert
Melissa McDonough. Artist. Educator. Curator. Community organizer. And, currently, a Feature Exhibitor at the William and Florence Schmidt Art Center Gallery at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) in Belleville, Illinois.
Melissa is an abstract artist creating “dimensional collages of layered paper, fabric, vellum, wire, monofilament, and cardboard, drawing in space via painting, sculpture, and installation”. And the best way to understand and appreciate that description is to see Melissa’s work, upfront and personal. Melissa’s exhibition, Presence With Light: Dimensional Paintings, opens at the Schmidt Art Center with a public artist’s reception, on March 5, 4-7pm.
“Melissa’s artwork is whimsical and intuitive, yet thoughtful and precise in its detail. Though her pieces exhibit a bold sense of movement, each one evokes stillness and quiet. Expressive mark-making, a balance of vibrant and muted color, objects of contrasting visual weight, and precisely directed light shape an atmosphere that invites meditation and contentment. Through the layering of these elements, each work presents a subtle push and pull, creating an illusory sense of space that shifts with the viewer’s vantage point. Much like Melissa herself, the exhibition is lighthearted, authentic, and inspiring.” -Dawn Blum, Curator, Schmidt Art Center.
You may already know Melissa McDonough from her 30 years being a working artist and educator, and as the Executive Director of the Edwardsville Arts Center where she worked to develop the Edwardsville Art Fair, Edwardsville, Illinois (EdwardsvilleArtsCenter.com). Now ‘retired’ from that role, Melissa is prioritizing seeking and creating opportunities for her own art practice, as seen here at The Schmidt.
Melissa’s new exhibition at the Schmidt Art Center is immense and captivating. Sculptural paintings and constructs cover the walls and hang from the ceiling of the grand Schmidt Gallery. Every piece captures, embodies, reflects and exudes colorful lighting and shadows. Melissa says that “the work invites viewers to move and engage before the work to explore the hidden complexities through light, shadow, and varied viewpoints.” And I personally assure you that they do. They are a ‘presence with light’.
Per Melissa: “I spent a lot of time in arts administration and teaching and thinking that is where I should be – that’s how I would make money. That’s the ‘responsible’ thing to do. In reality, I just always missed painting.
“I found it very imperative to get back to creating work that is MY interest, MY direction, things I’ve been thinking about for 20 years. Don’t let them go.” (And now, here they are…)
Dimensional Paintings: “Everything I am making is in response, relation, in conversation with the education, that structure of what painting is. How a painting is made. How space is constructed. How light informs that space directly when you make something illusory – I think a lot about what makes something illusory – I think allot about what makes the difference between something that is illusory and something that is actual. What is the defining place where that happens. And after I find that light is the answer to where it becomes reality. How light is affecting the thing in space.
“I think about truth, too. I don’t know if it’s truth necessarily but, like how many layers of reality, or how many interpretations of reality. Everyone’s going to come with their own background and their own story that develops their perception. But how to get closer to making them connect. The ability to perceive and receive that gift of looking and experiencing. It’s important to be with the work.“
What do you want patrons to take away from this exhibit of your work? “I want people in museums and galleries. I want them to stand in front of the work and also feel the light that is above them, to really question how and what is the depth of that sculpture, how close to it. So in doing so, you’re being considerate of your own self, your self-awareness. And by doing that, then your appreciation of the world and the beauty that you can experience of the world and the beauty that you can experience literally, actually is what I’m trying to get at. Again, it goes back to that presentness. So that is why I say ‘Presence With Light’ in the exhibit title. Being present. Seeing on a computer screen in 5 seconds, you can’t experience that physical space. So having someone stand in front of the work and walk near the work, walk beyond the work and to experience its space. That’s what I want.”
What does Curator Dawn Blum hopes patrons will take away from this exhibition? “I hope visitors experience a sense of tranquility, recognize light and shadow as fundamental elements of the work, and feel a connection to the art as each piece responds to their movement throughout the exhibition.”
What: Presence With Light: Dimensional Paintings by Melissa McDonough
Where: The William and Florence Schmidt Art Center at Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Avenue, Belleville IL
When: Opens with a public artist’s reception, on March 5, 4-7pm
Why: “There’s a physical, active, participatory level for people to see this work.” Artist Melissa McDonough
How: Exhibition continues Monday, March 16 through Wednesday, April 8
Also at The Schmidt: Two Centuries of Pleas -Paintings by Maryam Safajoo
More:
MelissaMcDonough-Art.com
SWIC.edu/theschmidt/
Facebook.com/theschmidtartcenter/
