Hi, I’m Melissa!
Image Credit Anne-Katrin Purkiss 2023
I’m an artist from the mountains of Colorado, now based in Cambridge, UK. With this blog I plan to share my artistic thoughts, ideas, and images of my work. I’d like to reflect on what I do in the studio, what it means to me and how it relates to my experiences, travels and the world we live in. By sharing my passion for making and thinking I hope to use my ideas, sculptures and drawings to connect with people who are inspired by this work and to create conversations about how art and humans interact.
I’ve come from a rather unusual and eclectic background. From reading Physics and English Literature at University in the States and racing bicycles at a semi-professional level, to studying sculpture after moving to the UK, these experiences have informed my approaches to art. Whether working with objects or ideas, my interests lie in inter-disciplinary boundaries and connections. I am drawn to how ideas are embodied in physical objects and how we relate to them. I go to the studio to play with materials, form and interactions and use artistic creation as a way of exploring my thinking.
Because my work derives from such diverse interests, the specific artworks I create can speak to multiple origins and conversations. I try to make intriguing objects and create novel contexts for people to engage with them. A few of my favourite artworks and projects include:
Stasis - stacked, clear blocks of ice and inky spikes of steel, exhibited at an open day at the Scott Polar Institute. The work took inspiration from tensions between volcanic and glacial forces in Iceland. I used a chainsaw to cut the ice!
Tipping Point - a dynamic sculptural takeover of Aldeburgh Beach Lookout Tower Art Space. I used an oversize sculpture kit of seemingly static sculptural forms to animate the tower and beach. Despite the wind and waves, I managed not to spike anyone.
Interactive Spaces- I’ve created flexible sculptures for dancers and interactive sculptural spaces for arts festivals. These works give me the opportunity to invite people to participate in the excitement I find in my studio, constructing juxtapositions of materials and forms.
Art and Science- I facilitate interactions between artists and scientists and have lead interdisciplinary creativity workshops, such as Drawing on Science at the University of Cambridge, and Thinking Objects at the University of Leeds. I’ve taught sculpture workshops to all ages, including stone carving, casting, and portrait modelling.
If you like what you’ve read or are inspired by my art, or simply have any thoughts to share, I’d really love to hear your comments and questions. Let me know what you like, what you wonder about, what may or may not resonate with you, or any other ideas this post has sparked!
