Melanie Deal  •  Collage and Mixed Media

Remember when you were a child, creating artworks by cutting and pasting? Well, that’s what I do as an adult, and it’s just as fun and satisfying as it was when I was in kindergarten. I’m fascinated by grids, tessellations, and repeated shapes. I reinforce this repetition through colors and materials. Because patterns tend to be orderly and predictable, I like to add unexpected elements for humorous or ironic effect.

My work is influenced by a lifelong love of comic books, paper dolls, toys, TV, literature, and music. My only agenda is to express my perspective on topics that interest or amuse me. Sometimes the topic is simply a combination of colors or a particular pattern.