Melissa Eder
Melissa Eder received a B.F.A. in Painting/Printmaking from the Parsons School of Design and a M.F.A. in Combined Media from Hunter College. Her work has been shown at the Bronx Museum, the Aperture Foundation, Humble Arts, the Davis/Orton Gallery, the Griffin Museum of Photography, Rockefeller Center and in Berlin, London, Rome and Korea. She was an artist-in-residence at the Henry Street Settlement, the Saltonstall Foundation, Jentel Foundation in Banner, Wyoming and the Atlantic Center for the Arts with renowned photographer Graciela Iturbide. Her work has been reviewed by the New York Times, Feature Shoot, the Huffington Post, the Collector Daily, and VICE. She maintains a studio in Brooklyn with Chashama and lives in New York City.
Still Life with Double Fake Jumbo Oranges, acrylic, gouache, photo collage, and hand painted frame, 36" x 24"
PP: Walk us through a typical day in your studio or generally through your process to make new work.
ME: When I’m really involved in my work, I always listen to music. In fact, I can say what musical artists were “with me” during the creation of different projects- Barry White, P-Funk and The Grateful Dead to name a few.
The most recent works that I’ve made are influenced and dedicated to George Michael! Baby, I’m Your Man for George Michael consists of 10 16” x 20” works on canvas created with acrylics, gouache, and photo collage. In a nutshell, this project combines my current life; that of recently losing my mother, experiencing the magnificent landscape of Wyoming (while attending an artist’s residency at the Jentel Foundation) and bridging my art of photo works documenting 99 cents store objects and junk food within vividly psychedelic stylistic painting.
While painting these, I had obsessively listened to his music and want to add that I wasn’t that into him/his music at the height of his pop stardom (although I’ve always loved the song I Want Your Sex). George Michael has been my spirit guide through this challenging time in my life and has helped me to create these works! I pay tribute to him as I give each work’s title a snippet of lyrics taken from his songs.
Everything Under the Sun (Except the Sun) Pizza, Digital Print on Metallic Paper, 30” x 40”, 2019
PP: What motivates you to make art?
ME: I’ve always been an artist for as long as I can remember (age 3 or 4 is when I began drawing). When I create (this includes thinking about ideas related to my art), I feel the most connected as a person. I, wholeheartedly, believe in freedom of expression and understand that art making contributes to the promise of a free thinking society.
PP: What is one goal you are aiming to achieve this year for your art practice?
ME: I am so into what I’m working on right now! I recently bought many large scale canvases and will continue to create works that collage my photos within a painted psychedelic colorful interior setting.
Left: Can You Dig It? A Chromatic Series Of Floral Arrangements (Orange), Digital Print on Metallic Paper, 30" x 40", 2014
Right: "Sense of Herself" (French Fries), 1995-Present, c-print, 8" x 10"
PP: Name a childhood toy (or memory/cultural reference) you had, that you think relates to your practice today.
ME: My work/life is totally informed by my upbringing in the suburban New Jersey Shore of the 1970s. (Let’s here it for Exit 105 on the Garden State Parkway!) We cannot escape our early/formative experiences. They shape us. This is why I can find New Jersey everywhere! I’ve traveled some and in all seriousness, I have found references to NJ in all of these places!
PP: Favorite hobby outside of art?
ME: I really love Latin music and dance. Ten time Grammy Award winner composer/pianist Eddie Palmieri is my all time fave. I liken him to artist Philip Guston in breadth and depth of their art. You can find me happily dancing the cha cha cha during a summer outdoor dance event!
To learn more about Melissa’s work, see her instagram and website.