Gallery Submission

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Name:

Melinda Morey

E-Mail:

Concept:

My memorial is at once an homage to, and a mockery of, the reliquaries found in the tradition of European Catholicism. I am fascinated by their obsessiveness, the attachment of spiritual power to the corporeal body. The decadent, ornate beauty of these objects also strikes me.

In life my work deals with internal processes, from the literal/metaphoric functioning of the internal organs (as seen through the filter of my interest in Chinese medical theory and yoga), to the functions of memory and perception. It seems only appropriate that in death I would create a memorial which honors the symbols of such processes my internal organs.

The structure of my piece derives from the forms in Byzantine iconographic art. The shapes of the doors; embossed gilded walls; ornamentation and colored cut glass all pay direct homage to this style I find so intriguing. I have sought out the richest surfaces possible, to create a gemlike effect. I want the memorial to be a jewel, with my organs the centerpiece. Embossed into the wall surfaces will be my own writings, and images from my life. Other images and symbols I have drawn inspiration from will also be included, images that speak of interconnectedness of all life.

My organs will be displayed in cast acrylic resin, set into the frontal wall - a sobering counterpoint to the surrounding opulence. And yet I hope to stage a different reading of these "lowly" and intensely personal, internal entities. There is a beauty in the ceaseless and perfect functioning of these base elements, which deserve elevation. The fact that such perfection exists beyond our conscious control, yet within our own bodies, is a constant source of awe.

In all honesty I wish I could be around to see my organs encased in their new acrylic body! I would sit before them in gratitude, my guts, the means by which I have navigated the world and assimilated my life.

Bio:

Melinda Morey was born in Torrance, California in 1963, to an artist mother and surfer-inventor father. Morey attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she studied painting and illustration. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelors degree, Magna Cum Laude, in Studio Art. She worked as a commercial mural artist in Santa Fe, New York and San Francisco, working in opera, theater and film before starting her own studio in 1991. Doing business as Studio O.M.O., Morey has created murals for hotels in Tokyo; Portland, Oregon; and Hawaii, as well as numerous restaurants, residences and public spaces.

Her work has been shown in Tucson at Central Arts Collective, Local 803, Dinnerware, and the University of Arizona's Joseph Gross and Arizona Galleries; and at the Erector Square Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut.

At its core, Morey's work deals with internal processes - literally and metaphorically - and addresses issues of duality; the duality found in her conscious and regained memories, and the duality which exists in the natural world. Melinda's outlook is inspired by her involvement with modern dance, Iyengar style hatha yoga, and an interest in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines. The ocean is also a major part of her life and continues to inform her work.