Melissa Meier’s work confronts social and spiritual issues by incorporating mixed media sculpture into narrative assemblage. She is constantly working with new processes and structure, for example, with her “Laced” series, she photographed mug shot female portraits in natural light. With wood putty and graphite, the photographic surfaces are re-rendered and then dramatically altered with incised lace patterns. With a feeling similar to the Maori warrior facial tattoos, at once sexy and intimidating, the portraits are created out of a symbol of elegance, femininity and ironically Victorian repression. Meier’s latest work entitled “Skins” furthers female portraiture, this time using natural elements such as leaves, feathers, stones, egg shells, pinecones, sticks, sponges, sea shells, scales and fur. Tribal ritual or the future of fashion, the “Skins” series asks the question: is there a difference?
Meier spent most of her childhood in Brazil. She received a B.A. from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. She has exhibited her work in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and was chosen by Sotheby’s for their Young International Artists group show and auction in Tel Aviv, Vienna and Chicago.
