Introduction
VINEYARD SUMMER
Interpretation of summer in Burgundy area.
Scribing, patination & metal powders on pewter
50cm x 50cm
IN SNOW
one of series of new landscapes of Burgundy area
scribing, patination & metal powders on pewter
49cm x 49cm
VINEYARD WINTER
Design on pewter
Patination & metal powders on pewter
50cm x 50cm
FORESHORE photo:45Southside Gallery
Original pewter on acrylic - a fresh wave breaks on the sandy shore as each previous 'fingerprint' of tiny bubbles fades.
52cm x 110cm x 4cm
DAWN RIPPLE detail photo:Melanie Guy
From memories of special experiences when cruising - what a life! - early golden sunrays on calm waters by sandy beach. Pewter on board
118cm x 20cm x 7cm
DAWN RIPPLE photo:Melanie Guy
WAVE detail Original pewter on board detail of sculptural wave forms
DARK Original pewter on board - Wave form for specific site, devisd to reflect onto a bar counter - private commission
66cm x 150cm x 10cm
MIDNIGHT detail
The glow of reflected moonlight on subtle, textured surface. Subject inspired by balance of spirit and body, complimentary opposites, natural rhythms and the power of the forces associated with the yin and the yang.
118cm x 20cm x 7cm
SPUME Original pewter on board - the wind catches the top of a wave and blows the froth into the saturated air.
62cm x 110cm
RIPPLE
Sculptural panels for wall mounting - when ripples emege as a vessel breaks through the surface and leaves a deeper pattern in its wake.
Original pewter
75cm x 35cm
DEEP REACH Original pewter on boards - impressions of deep slow water in straight reach of river, flowing over an obstacle and accelerating. Dark depths of the layers of water travelling at various speed according to other obstacles in the channel.
70cm x 120cm x 10cm
DARK WAVES Original pewter chemically darkened by patination, folded and formed. Reminiscent of sun glinting on deep shadowy water.
75cm x 35cm
REFLECT - ION REFLECT and ION hung as a unit; each measures 1500cm x 35cm high
The two pieces link in their relation to the total environment - Reflect as reference to landscape and still waters, Ion to the ionosphere and the resultant 'hole' in the very atmosphere that we need to survive; and reference to the human birth canal for regeneration of all things, naturally.
Original
pewter on boards
35cm x 1500cm
SURGE Original pewter on board almost imperceptable surge of ocean - not obvious when floating on it, without a reference to land.
61cm x 122cm x 10cm
NEW WAVE photo: Melanie Guy
Textured pewter in board - gentle building of small ripples as breeze gathers
75cm x 65cm x 3cm
Statement
'In wildness is the preservation of the world'...since 2000 Melanie has used resistant materials to make 3d works. She uses metal for design pieces and for her pewter wall sculptures. These have a strong design aesthetic, a universal language which has become her signature style in her aim to make something pure and beautiful.
2018
Rejoicing that New “Biosphere News Search” Web Site Launches to Benefit Global Ecology - "The global ecological system is collapsing and dying as human industrial growth overwhelms the climate and ecosystems. We urgently need to integrate knowledge regarding ecological problems and their solutions -- from the local to the global scale -- to inform advocacy and policy actions sufficient to maintain a habitable planet. Future phases of EcoInternet's Earth IT Project will organize the most important global ecological data sets into a 'Global Ecology Data Vault' using cutting edge data warehousing techniques not yet applied to global ecological sustainability," says Dr. Glen Barry.
‘Since 2004 I have used pewter sheet to make sculptural reliefs and often use an abstract mode, a universal language. This is devoid of cultural reference and it’s my intention to create something beautiful as well as thought provoking’.
She lived on a boat and was sailing for some three years – a floating life, surrounded by water and the natural world. This imprinted on her memory, and the environment and elemental conditions and other interpretations of her experiences emerge vividly in her work. She refines these and the forces and movement of the sea with minimalist, clean lines, and the philosophy that ‘less is more’. When light falls on the sculptural contours of the pewter, the metal is animated and makes an exciting visual effect, ever changing and delicate. This expresses qualities that can be found in the natural world and reflects our constantly waxing and waning empathy with nature.
Referencing circumstances from her bank of experiences - ‘My stimulation comes from all things natural, as well as the material and the varied methods that I use. I sometimes cross traditional boundaries and make free-standing sculptures with other materials such as clay or wood’
...a longer statemenent and a bit of a rant!
* If you don't know what I am riling against see these recent images http://www.hefty.co/truth-in-pictures/
My influences are from all things natural and with the Zen-like philosophy that ‘less is more’ I shed extraneous material to express the essence of Nature’s energy and refine interpretations of my experiences and emotions.
Having lived on the sea for some years, the elements and the environment, their moods and contrasts, are interpreted. Illumination animates the sensuous, undulating pewter forms and mark-making so that when passing by, light appears on the surface but is gone the next - it is ethereal and resembles transient and delicate qualities in the balance of the natural world.
The metal is also to some degree reflective and can be seen as a metaphor for self-examination – our own image seen against that of nature; her essence portrayed by simple lines and forms. In making this primal scream on nature's behalf my work is replete with feeling, hoping it will kindle awareness of our ruthless treatment and devaluation of the environment. We are natural products ourselves and need nature to survive, yet our continued disregard is having unimagined consequences on this vulnerable entity.
Perhaps what we need is a cultural shift in our concerns - if we accept that we have to conserve the natural world to survive - Polly Higgins in her second book, 'Eradicating Ecoside', writes about a potential formula for change.
Like the light, our empathy with nature waxes and wanes – a post-industrial whim or a dangerous fact? In this abstract mode I use a universal language which is devoid of cultural reference. I hope to promote a review of nature's plight and to celebrate her beauty and amazing ability to regenerate."