Skins
Brazilian artist Melissa Meier is internationally recognized for her evocative 3-dimensional installations, found-object sculptures, collages and photography. In her current series “SKINS”, Meier has created sculptural clothing hybrids, utilizing natural materials such as leaves, stones, fur, eggshells, wheat, rice, crystals, scales, sticks, feathers, pinecones and shells.
Inspired by Brazilian Carnival and Native American skin-walkers, her wearable constructions blend female empowerment with a self-created mythology, developed around the idea of ancient cultures of female warriors, exemplifying strength, beauty and unity of life lived in harmony with the elements. Her warrior women are breathtakingly sensual, while radiating a searing combination of purity and power.
Meier states, “At first I was inspired by the legends of indigenous people and how they used the skins of animals to transform into them, creating a bridge between the human and animal worlds. But as my work matured, I became equally interested in the future of fashion as an extreme form of kinetic sculpture.”
The costumes are developed into moveable, wearable sculptures that are brought to Life as performance art works, serve as independent sculptures and in their final documented form as archival fine art photographs.
This is where the work creates a bridge to the present and allows us to connect with and find ourselves reflected in her images of hidden, treasured cultures, heroines and spirit guides, imagined and real.
Head
For the "Head" series, Meier constructed a 250 pound head made entirely out of brown packing paper and clear tape. Originally used to cover and protect an entire household of family items for a move overseas, the paper and tape's 5,000 mile journey ended with the rumpled and disparate parts being repurposed into a peaceful whole, photographed in its new natural and suburban settings.
Masked
In “Masked” I use masks as a form of expressed emotion rather than concealed disguise. I fabricate oversized masks out of clay and ceramics bringing them to life using glass eyes, paint, and human models; I then photograph them in both abstract and commonplace settings. Sculpted stylistically, the masks appear to breathe and live, whether a person is posing behind them or not. With each mask I work to capture the private emotions that are expressed when one is alone.
Masks are relevant in the digital age given our lack of personal privacy. Social media has completely opened our lives - obliterating any sense of secrecy. Ironically, masks have been used by humans throughout history. They have been used as a form of disguise, ritual, entertainment and even protection. In this series I am using masks as a form of revelation. Through the masks I am able to explore one’s true sense of self - not one that is formed by culture, gender, race, age or experience.
Laced
A doily is an ornamental mat of lace that is laid under crockery and decorative objects in order to protect the fine wood from scratches - its openwork allows the surface of the underlying object to show through. In the "LACED" series, Meier has chosen vintage doily patterns and has superimposed them on the faces of female subjects. The shapes of the faces, expressions, and attitudes of the women dictate the choice of doily.
Doily patterns are the ultimate symbol of elegance, femininity and propriety, yet one wonders if they also represent the repression of women. Meier reminds us of stuffy tea parties in the Victorian era, where women’s outfits alone were more than constricting.
In Meier's works, the doily is violently embroidered onto the face; often the more dainty and intricate the pattern, the more aggressive the mask appears. Through this skin, women with attitude stare back. While Meier has photographed her chosen subjects like police mug shots, the women are not weak and afraid. They are empowered and ready to fight.
Throughout history, warriors have used facial masks, tattoos, and body painting in order to intimidate and threaten their enemy. Even comic book super heroes don masks to intimidate. Here the doily-clad women are transformed into masked warriors. And in this case, with their own cut skin.
Construction
The "CONSTRUCTION" series confronts social and spiritual issues by incorporating antique objects with vintage photographs into narrative assemblage. The constructions explore aspects of femininity, the perceived, projected, expected, and the actual... and are often conceived through memories, dreams and fears. The works often include articles that Meier finds in flea markets, antique stores and trash bins.
Contact
