Here I Am
Vanitas
Delft Gestures
Melissa Reischman
Artist Statement
The use of light, its absence, and forceful movement are common themes in my work. Throughout the course of my career, I have explored the shifts between earth and atmosphere, mass and space, blurring the lines between abstraction and representation. I create two-dimensional, primarily abstract images that are high in contrast, producing a representational abstraction of nature and its elements. I use charcoal for its ethereal qualities, making the desired soft, smooth transitions possible. I use oil paint to further investigate the principles of atmosphere and form. It also allows me to add layers giving a deeper sense of space.
The dichotomy of light and dark mirror the transitions that occur when drifting through various emotional states, from belonging to alienation, grief to joy, and attachment to separation. The images are inspired by my encounters with the natural world, and informed by personal mythologies, and memories. They serve as visual metaphors for psycho-spiritual transformation.
I rely on the effects of sharp and soft focus, along with extreme lights and darks to create swirling, luminous, and organic areas of mysterious presence. I use methods of application and erasure to create drawings that allude to natural elements, landscapes, and still lifes. The act of rendering allows for contemplation, where connections to both the internal and external world are made.
Certain aspects of my work are deeply autobiographical, incorporating my own feelings, and reactions and arriving at an understanding of my place in something akin to the collective subconscious. Taken further, my work explores the possibility of the existence of an alternative or parallel physical realm.