Rafael Melendez
Rafael Melendez
“The paintings I’m presenting consist of imagery which questions the commercialization of culture as I understand it today. I want the pieces to be fun, amusing, and alluring while still making space for self-examination. The idea of playing with fiction and reality heavily influences the way they are gradually built over time, instead of instantly, to deliver a sense of compact and cryptic messaging which may hold the answer to a more perfect world.”
-Rafael Melendez
Arena for the study of Reality: The Unity of Opposites, 2021, acrylic paint, gesso, sharpie marker, inkjet copy, staples, plastic lid collaged onto canvas, collaged to a stretched linen, collage elements with artists stamps and vintage photocopied art exhibition review in artist frame, 12.75 x 9.25 x 1.75 inches
Arena for the normalization of character: Dual Nature, 2021, acrylic paint, gesso, sharpie marker, inkjet copy, staples, plastic lid collaged onto canvas; collaged to a stretched linen, collage elements with artist stamps and vintage photocopied art exhibition review in artist frame, 12.75 x 9.25 x 1.75 inches
The Not Knowers, 2021, acrylic paint, gesso, pencil, artist marker on paper with collage elements mounted on aluminum, 10 7/8 x 8.25 inches
Moral Monster I, 2021, acrylic paint, gesso, pencil, artist marker on paper mounted on aluminum, 11 x 8.25 inches