"The Verdant Trance Lay Far and Wide"
Download the Exhibition Poster
PRESS RELEASE
Jacob Melchi
“The Verdant Trance Lay Far and Wide” is an exhibition of recent painting, drawing, and photographs by Los Angeles based artist, Jacob Melchi. Melchi's formal and conceptual moves are often obtuse and indescribable but always specific. His practice is one that allows for a high degree of experimentation.
For this exhibition, his first solo, Melchi looks to a drawing by Dieter Roth and his own personal anecdotes for inspiration on how to make his pictures speak to one another in humorous and unexpected ways, utilizing language as his support structure.
Melchi recently participated in "Everything In Particular" curated by Kevin Hanley and Michael Krebber, ACME, Los Angeles, "Having Differences" at I-20 gallery, New York and "Constructed Worlds" at fa projects, London.
"Melchi's work hovers deliberately and humorously on the border of being totally inconsequential." "It is as if he wonders just how little one can do and still claim to be doing something."- Charles Holland, Modern Painters Magazine, 2005
Education:
2003 MFA, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA
2000 BFA in Photography, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Solo Exhibitions:
The Verdant Trance Lay Far and Wide, Another Year In LA, Los Angeles, 2006
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2006
Draw A Line And Follow It, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, June 2006
Many Many Guys and Girls All Real Beauties, curated by Julian Hoeber, Circus of Books, West Hollywood, CA May-June, 2006
Delusionarium 3, curated by Jesse Benson, CSUF,Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA, April 1 – May21, 2006 (catalog)
2005
Launch Party/Silent Auction, LA><ART, Los Angeles, November, 2005 Organized by Laurie Firstenburg, Aram Moshayedi, and others.
Installations: Spring 2005 , I-20 gallery, New York, July 14-August 19, 2005
Everything In Particular, ACME gallery, Los Angeles. July. Curated by Kevin Hanley and Michael Krebber.
Imaginary Is Potential, NIFCA, Nordic Institute for Contemporary Art, Helsinki (screening). Curated by Henrikke Nielsen
Delusionarium 2, White Box Gallery, Los Angeles, April 23-June5 curated by Jesse Benson
Having Differences, I-20 Gallery, curated by Steve Hanson, Kevin Hanley,and Paul Judelson New York, March 26-April 30
Constructed Worlds, fa projects gallery, London.
Idiolects, Angels Gate Cultural Center, Los Angeles. Feb 20-April 3, curated by Roy Dowell and Annetta Kapon.
2004
Fly By Night, Mandarin Gallery, December 3-20. two-person show with Matt MacFarland, Organized by Alexis Hall.
De Een Minuten (the one minutes) Sandberg Instituut & Nederlands Instituut voor mediakunst Montevideo. (airs on Dutch television)
Imaginary is Potential, Sparwasser HQ, Berlin, Germany. Curated by Henrikke Nielsen
Delusionarium 1, curated by Jesse Benson, Santa Ana, CA
Terpicooniteen (please) Give Until Gone, sixteen:one gallery, Los Angeles
2003
Graduate Exchange Show, University of California at Irvine, Organized by Andrea Bowers, Daniel J. Martinez, Annetta Kapon.
Stories For Projection, Marios Furniture, Los Angeles
Experimental Animation Show, Echo Park Film Center, Los Angeles
7th Annual Short Film and Video Festival, Arizona State University Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ, April. (curated by John Spiak) Travels to Cal State Fullerton Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana, CA. then to Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA.
MFA thesis exhibition, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles
88.9 FM KXLU Los Angeles, SFP (audio versions) are in rotation on Demolisten, Fridays from 6-8pm
2002
Making, LacmaLab at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, November 02-August 03 (commission to collaboratively produce an interactive installation for children and adults)
Nooks and Crannies, Arizona State University Art Museum, curated by John Spiak September 2001-February 2002
Teaching
Visiting Professor, 2006, U.C.L.A., Fine Arts (New Genres)
Visiting Professor, 2005- 2006, Otis College of Art and Design, Fine Arts (Painting)
Visiting Professor, Fall 2005, Otis College of Art and Design, Graduate Fine Arts Dept (grad tutorials)
Adjunct Professor, Fall 2004, Marymount College Palos-Verdes, Fine Arts Dept.
Bibliography
Johnson, "Having Differences", New York Times Art Listings Critics Picks, April 22, 2005
Holland, Charles, "Constructed Worlds" (Review), Modern Painters Magazine, August, 2005
another year in LA is located at 2121 N. San Fernando Road, #13, Los Angeles, CA 90065
Gallery phone: 323-223-4000