"Natural Portal" by Melissa Reischman

$1,000.00

oil on canvas

14 x 18 in.

$1000

Melissa Reischman is a draftsperson and a painter who uses principles of light and dark to explore psychological and existential states of being. Her works that span charcoal to oil paint, on paper and panels are often informed by the natural occurrence of light in nature and its flora.

Reischman’s recent solo exhibitions include The Museum of Art and History (MOAH) in Lancaster, CA (2024); Gallery 825, West Hollywood, CA (2019). Group exhibitions include The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA), Santa Ana CA; The Brand Library in Glendale, CA; The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; The Neutra Museum, Silverlake, CA, and Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA

Reischman’s work is held in the permanent collection of the Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) and several private collections locally and internationally. She studied painting with Richard Bunkhall and Ray Turner at Art Center College of Design, and Art History at Glendale College. She studied graphic design at the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, CO and is an accomplished print designer, her work has been featured in Print’s Regional Design Annual, and Print’s Best Letterhead & Business Cards.

Reischman was born in Portland, Oregon, she now lives and works in Los Angeles. She is a member of the Kipaipai Fellows directed by Andi Campognone. She is a member of the Los Angeles Art Association, and she served on the board of the Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art, from 2018-2024. She co-founded and co-produced the Sunland-Tujunga Open Studios, .(2017-2018) a regional community events

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 consciousness. Taken further, aspects of my work explore the possibility of the existence of an alternative or parallel physical realm. My recent work was inspired by revisiting my art history books leading me to draw from the aesthetics of the Rococo period. The meticulously rendered flowers of the Dutch still-life period hint at their inevitable decay and speak to the fragility and evanescence of life. The work of Agnes Pelton, a transcendental artist, articulates the transformational process and addresses the inherent spiritual aspect found in abstract art. I wanted to add my own voice to something from the art that came before me. The desire to probe deeper into form and space yet remain focused on elements of nature, spirituality, and the principles of Wabi-Sabi has guided me to a return to oil paint. Using a limited palette and abstract marks, I am investigating what it feels like to encounter a space that can interfere with an expected or perceived scenario.

oil on canvas

14 x 18 in.

$1000

Melissa Reischman is a draftsperson and a painter who uses principles of light and dark to explore psychological and existential states of being. Her works that span charcoal to oil paint, on paper and panels are often informed by the natural occurrence of light in nature and its flora.

Reischman’s recent solo exhibitions include The Museum of Art and History (MOAH) in Lancaster, CA (2024); Gallery 825, West Hollywood, CA (2019). Group exhibitions include The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA), Santa Ana CA; The Brand Library in Glendale, CA; The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; The Neutra Museum, Silverlake, CA, and Melissa Morgan Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA

Reischman’s work is held in the permanent collection of the Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) and several private collections locally and internationally. She studied painting with Richard Bunkhall and Ray Turner at Art Center College of Design, and Art History at Glendale College. She studied graphic design at the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, CO and is an accomplished print designer, her work has been featured in Print’s Regional Design Annual, and Print’s Best Letterhead & Business Cards.

Reischman was born in Portland, Oregon, she now lives and works in Los Angeles. She is a member of the Kipaipai Fellows directed by Andi Campognone. She is a member of the Los Angeles Art Association, and she served on the board of the Southern California Women’s Caucus for Art, from 2018-2024. She co-founded and co-produced the Sunland-Tujunga Open Studios, .(2017-2018) a regional community events

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 consciousness. Taken further, aspects of my work explore the possibility of the existence of an alternative or parallel physical realm. My recent work was inspired by revisiting my art history books leading me to draw from the aesthetics of the Rococo period. The meticulously rendered flowers of the Dutch still-life period hint at their inevitable decay and speak to the fragility and evanescence of life. The work of Agnes Pelton, a transcendental artist, articulates the transformational process and addresses the inherent spiritual aspect found in abstract art. I wanted to add my own voice to something from the art that came before me. The desire to probe deeper into form and space yet remain focused on elements of nature, spirituality, and the principles of Wabi-Sabi has guided me to a return to oil paint. Using a limited palette and abstract marks, I am investigating what it feels like to encounter a space that can interfere with an expected or perceived scenario.