MEMBER FEATURE:

Our monthly Member Feature aims to showcase the talent that occupies our buildings and celebrate their work.

This month, we interviewed Rockella Space Member Melanie Delach to learn more about how her personal mythology and experiences of loss, love, desire, and growth are translated into her painting practice.

Melanie Delach is a mixed media artist and educator, living and working in Queens, New York. Delach’s work spans from textured mixed media paintings to intimate drawings that are an introspection about self-discovery, transformation, and spiritual space as a queer woman. She received her BFA in Studio Art from Adelphi University in 2017 and an MFA at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2019. Her work has been exhibited at NEWCHILD Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, RegularNormal NYC, Anna Zorina Gallery, LatchKey Gallery, Dinner Gallery, Loft Projects, The Museum at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Gross McCleaf Gallery to name a few. She received the Fine Arts Venture Fund and The Judith McGregor Caldwell Purchase Prize, and was nominated for the Colene Brown Art Prize. Her work is part of the Museum of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts permanent collection.

Melanie Delach has been a Rockella Space Member since early 2023 and has a studio at One Eyed Studios.

To learn more about the creatives who call Rockella Space home, head over to the People page for a full list of in-depth interviews.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Melanie Delach. I’m born and raised on Long Island, NY but going to NYC was always part of my nature. I spent some time in Philadelphia for my MFA, and made my way back to New York about 4 years ago. I currently live and work in Queens, NY. I’ve always been a maker- mainly a mixed media painter and draftsperson. Both are equally as important in my practice.

For me, being an artist is at the core, but I have this little trifecta going on that makes me really balanced with my time– I work full time at Free Arts NYC as a program manager where I work with young people from under-resourced communities to work on their portfolios and apply to high school or college or art, I am an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, and most importantly, I am a studio artist. Doing all of these things informs one another. I’m inspired by my students and love giving back to the community. That’s at the core of my creative practice. And I have to be really strategic with my time because of my trifecta of commitments.

View of Melanie’s studio at One Eyed Studios

How long have you been at Rockella Space and what is your favorite thing about having a studio at One Eyed Studios?

I’ve been at Rockella for about a year and a half now. My studio is my safe place. It’s my space to disconnect from everything else in the world. It’s certainly hard to do that in the current state of the world, which is why I’m that much more grateful to be able to afford a studio space right now. It feels great to walk into the studio building knowing there are so many like-minded people here. There’s definitely a great sense of community in the building.

Tell us about your work. What inspires you to create the work that you do?

My work stems from trying to figure out what I’ve experienced in my life. This particular body of work came from the most important loss I’ve ever had in my life, which was my nana, a mother-figure in my life. I try to create this in-between space where I can connect to the memories or experiences of people, feelings, things, in a surrealistic way. At the core of the work, it’s always about connection, or reconnection. There’s a spiritual intervention, a calmness, a discovery that unfolds on the surface.

Starting an artwork is always hard. Tell us how you start a work and the processes or rituals you have surrounding its start.

The work will start from a memory of an experience. For example, I have a work called “The promise”, which is a mixed media painting of  two hands giving each other a pinky promise in a night sky with falling foliage. My nana, who this work stemmed from with the loss of her, pinky promised me to keep her secrets forever. I’ll hold that promise forever. It’s a personal thing to me, but I think we’ve all pinky promised someone about one thing or another. So, I typically have an idea, and will go right to the painting if I can visualize it in my mind.

Sometimes I made crude drawings, or fully thought out drawings, or small paintings on paper. It depends. Sometimes the drawings don’t make their way to the panel, and that’s perfectly fine. They all hold equal weight. When I get to my studio, the first thing I do is put on my crocs (duh), turn on some music– the vibe varies, and I just lock in. I get right to work within 5 minutes, then time evaporates and it’s been 4 hours.

I am extremely diligent with my time because I typically am there before or after my full time job or teaching. I like working on 2-3 things at a time. So some days are “building days” I call it. Which is when I sculpt and build the compositions with clay, wood, modeling paste. That will need a day or so to dry or set, so then I’ll move to works on paper or something on the day between or something. I go back and forth a bunch.

Your art delves deeply into themes of longing, peace, and acceptance as a lesbian woman navigating through the world. Can you share a personal experience or moment that inspired you to explore these themes through your artwork?

More recently the work has been about understanding loss, discovery, and spirituality. Being a lesbian definitely informs the way I think about the world and the way I navigate it, but it’s not at the forefront of my practice. Some of the work can get sensual in symbologies and gestures which is a nod to my sexuality, but more so, I want to evoke a sense of connection in the work.

Connecting to nature, a feeling, a loved one, something or someone you’ve lost or discovered. I lost my nana who was a mother figure to me about 2.5 years ago. This moment changed my life completely, and all of the feelings attached to it. How can I make peace with it and work through this in my studio? I thought, what if I create a placeless space, or thin space, so imagine a place to meet once again. So I did that…

Your concept of "Placeless spaces" is intriguing. Could you elaborate on how you translate the emotional experience of not belonging into tangible artistic expressions, particularly through the use of silhouettes and texture?

The term placeless space has a sort of dual meaning. The environments in my work are familiar– night skies, water, sunsets, sunrises, but mostly nightscapes. We’ve all seen those somewhere. But I don’t want to make it particular. Like, oh this is the sky from my bedroom, or oh, this is the Hudson River. I don’t care about that. It’s about knowing the feeling of those elements from nature. Placeless spaces are also queer coded.

I lived most of my life feeling like I didn’t belong in any of the spaces I was in. I hid for so long. I think the dark night skies in my work subconsciously are a safety net. Anything can exist in the night in their true form without being so seen. I also think about color a lot- from the viewpoint of John Berger’s, “I send you this Cadmium Red” series. I’m still figuring out what it means to belong, but I think I’m closer than I ever have been.

Peppermint Tears

12 x 9 inches Acrylic, colored pencil, and ink on paper 2024

The incorporation of foliage and sculptural architecture in your work symbolizes transformation and personal mythology. How do you decide which elements to include in each piece, and what significance do they hold for you personally?

It’s kind of intuitive depending on the composition. The foliage in the work is usually always sculpted when it’s a painting on a panel. I want it to feel like it’s fluttering on top of and a part of the composition, but it’s also a compositional tool and decorative tool in the work. More recently I’ve been carving into the surfaces as well, to play with the push and pull of the surface– whether it be waves, leaves, or an echo to something.

I’ve always been intrigued by sculptors and printmakers. I’ve done a little bit of both, but I wouldn’t call myself either of those things. It’s a challenge for me to think about expanded painting. It’s also my favorite part of making these. I want whoever is looking at it to have to spend a bit of time with the work. So many people tell me that when they see the work in person they didn’t expect the subtleties on the surface, and it becomes a shallow object, rather than “just a painting”. I like that play on things. It’s sort of a trompe-l’oeil from digital screen to IRL.

Late Bloomer

48 x 36 inches Acrylic, epoxy clay, wood, marker, colored pencil, and crayon on panel 2023

In your opinion, why is the theme of reinvention particularly relevant in today's cultural and social climate?

In today’s cultural and social climate, the theme of reinvention is particularly relevant from an intersectional feminist perspective because it reflects the ongoing struggle for equality and the breaking down of traditional barriers.

For many marginalized groups, especially women of diverse backgrounds, reinvention represents the opportunity to challenge and transform oppressive structures and narratives that have historically been silencing and exclusionary. Reinvention empowers people to reclaim their stories, redefine their roles, and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable world.

By embracing this theme, we can inspire others to envision and work towards a society where we can reinvent new ways of being, thinking, creating, and collaborating.

Your use of square tiles or "stars" to evoke hope and longing is a unique aspect of your artistic style. Can you discuss how these symbols have evolved over time in your work, and what they represent to you on a deeper level?

I used to use tiles in a lot of my work during graduate school but the first time I used the square tile as a star was during covid. I was staring out of my apartment window in Philly, and everyone was home. You can just see these little lit up squares of people’s windows and worlds– and it made me think about how much is out there at night. Then I started doing some more research about what a symbol of a star is.

I grew up catholic, but now am just a spiritual person. But, in this sort of belief system, a square can be a form of divinity. I started to think about how some stars can travel with you no matter where you are– they became a spirit guide which is a type of divinity, of those I’ve lost. They’re always wandering around and guiding my life– or composition for this sake. I also use them as a compositional tool for your eye to move around the work. I also like to mimic the geometric shape of windows as portals with them from that time during covid. So they can be spirit guides, bursts of light, portals…so be it.

They fell from my eyes, they fell from the sky

12 x 9 inches Acrylic, colored pencil, and ink on paper 2024

Spirituality seems to be a recurring theme in your art, especially with references to personal spirit guides. How does spirituality influence your creative process, and how do you incorporate it into your artistic vision?

I’m definitely a spiritual person, and I believe that there’s something up in the sky that informs how we move through the world. I have a hard time understanding the losses and some experiences I’ve gone through, and believe these souls or spirits are still with us somehow.

I want to create spaces that my physical self can reconnect to these spirits, or experiences, or memories that I had or wish I could have created. The work isn’t just about particular people I’ve lost, but also the loss of old selves of mine. I think we all also ponder some of these bigger questions. I ask myself constantly…Why did this happen? What happens if? If only I could imagine? Where are they now? Can I remember what that felt like? Then I transform this dialogue into a spiritual intervention of sorts.

Protection

12 x 9 inches Acrylic, colored pencil, and ink on paper 2024

Many artists draw from their own experiences to inform their work. How do you balance the deeply personal nature of your subject matter with the desire to create art that resonates with a broader audience?

I think it’s important to be honest in any work. There are symbols in the work that are deeply personal. I think people’s experiences are more universal than we think. We’ve all lost someone or something, questioned something, felt unsure, felt connected or disconnected, but how we understand it can be different. That’s the universal quality of the work.

I think in being true and honest with the stories I share, it makes people feel connected to it, even if they have or have not experienced it. I recently met a collector of mine at an opening, and she was almost in tears because of how connected she felt to a piece she acquired– her connection to it was very different than mine, but that’s the beauty of creating a personal yet universally understood world. She understood the elements in the same way, but she has a different experience connected to it.

The Soul’s Truth; The pearl’s journey

30 x 24 inchesAcrylic, epoxy clay, wood, marker, colored pencil, and crayon on panel 2024

Your artistic journey involves a process of self-exploration and growth. How do you see your artwork evolving in the future, and what do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your pieces?

I see my work pushing the boundaries further of what painting is. I don’t pressure myself to make these huge leaps and bounds in my work. I experiment a lot, and if something feels right, it will make its way into the work when the time is right. I try not to think so far ahead about anything in life and to just keep making what feels right. I can only ever hope for viewers to find a place of connection or longing in my work. Because it is figurative in a sense, I think people will always connect to that somehow. It’s up to them to find the deeper meaning– titles are really important to me for this.

If you were to invite anyone alive or dead to a dinner party, who would be on your guest list?

Gosh…there’s way too many people I’d pick. I think I would ask Joan Semmel to dinner. I’ve met her twice, but I was so nervous because I’m a mega fan. She told me and a friend that she keeps making for younger artists like us. I think she’s a badass for pushing hard during the feminist movement in the 70’s– and she would be able to share so much wisdom about the art world if she was at dinner. She was one of the first painters I ever felt truly connected to. I remember the first time I saw her work at the Brooklyn Museum.

If I could fill an entire table of people we could add Magritte, Artemisia Gentileschi, Eva Hesse, Sasha Gordon, Jenna Gribbon, Robin F Williams. I’ll leave it there before it becomes too big of a dinner table. All of these artists make work that makes me think really hard– and I look at the work like how did they make it? That’s my favorite kind of stuff to look at.

Butterfly, butterfly, in the sky

24 x 19 inches Acrylic, epoxy clay, wood, marker, colored pencil, and crayon on panel 2024

What advice would you give to aspiring artists, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, who are looking to pursue a career in the art world?

Don’t stop making even when it gets really hard. I think it gets really hard to not compare yourself to others in this world, but just stay in your lane, show up for your people, be genuine, ask questions, and just never stop making your work for you.

What projects/exhibitions have you got coming up?

I will be in a few group shows with Loft Projects in the new year, a really cool film project/ exhibition through a filmmaker I know, and a few other things in the works. I’ll share more details when I’m able to on my instagram!

The Creation

60 x 36 inches Acrylic, epoxy clay, wood, marker, colored pencil, and crayon on panel 2023

Where can people see your work in IRL or online, and how can people contact you for a studio visit?

I’m currently in a group show at 81 Leonard Gallery in collaboration with Loft Projects, where people can see one of my works on view. My work is also in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum permanent collection that can be requested to be viewed. You can always view my work on my instagram- @meldelach, and on my website– www.melaniedelach.com. To contact me for a studio visit, DM me on instagram or send an email to melaniedelach@gmail.com.

The promise

40 x 30 inches Acrylic, epoxy clay, wood, marker, colored pencil, and crayon on panel 2023