ABOUT
Melissa Cooke (b. Oconomowoc, WI, 1982) received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her powdered graphite works explore themes of beauty, fantasy, violence, and identity, with the artist casting herself as subject in a myriad of thematic scenarios. Her work confronts the viewer, both with scale and stirring reflections of relationships, sexuality and gender. Cooke is represented by Koplin Del Rio in Los Angeles, CA and Jenkins Johnson Gallery in New York, NY. Her work has been exhibited at venues across the country, including the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, Cannon Art Gallery, and numberous colleges and Universities. Cooke's drawings are in collections such as the Arkansas Art Center, the Howard Tullman Collection, the Wisconsin Union Permanent Art Collection, and the Boston Public Library Print Collection.

THE PROCESS
Cooke's drawings are made by dusting thin layers of graphite onto paper with a dry brush.  The softness of the graphite provides a smooth surface that can be augmented by erasing in details and textures.  No pencils are used in the work, allowing the surface to glow without the shine of heavy pencil marks.  Illusion dissolves into brush work and the honesty of the material.

The scale of the drawings demands a physical interaction with the work.  Cooke traverses a path, back and forth, first to work intimately with the surface and then to see the piece from a distance.  This dance with her drawing has become a ritual, and ultimately, a release.

GET CONNECTED WITH MELISSA
E-mail: melissacookeart@gmail.com
Melissa's Tumblr Blog
MelCookie's Twitter

GALLERIES
Koplin Del Rio>e-mail: info@koplindelrio.com>phone: 310.836.9055
Jenkins Johnson Gallery>e-mail: nyc@jenkinsjohnsongallery.com>phone: 212.629.0707