Photographer Find at Art Chicago - Melanie Schiff
Photographer Melanie Schiff at Kavi Gupta Gallery was one of the MAO artist finds at Art Chicago'07. (Photo #1, Untitled - bottles, 2005, 45" x 30")
You probably don't know this young Chicago Photographer yet...
but you will soon!
We first spotted her work at the NADA Miami'04 fair..
but it's great to see the development of her art.
She's got a new show opening up at the MCA tomorrow
which is running only through May 27th. Melanie has been recently featured in :
Artforum, Timeout, Chicago Reader, and Art net. Just to drop name a few.
Melanie Schiff's new project, Underwater Photographer, which included video as well as still photos, really remind us of the current youth culture work of Ryan McGinley, Wolfgang Tillmans, and maybe even a bit Catherine Opie. But it's clear, she's already developed a photographic look all her own. (Photo #2, Video Still, Perfect Square, 2006, DVD Loop)
So what do you think of these images?
- A wonderful "underwater project" or just All Wet ?
- All flash and no folly, or a brilliant use of light from an up and coming fresh young visionary?
And her photos are ever fairly priced at $4,000 each in editions of only three.
I remember seeing the Neil Young image on the wall of Kavi's flat. Makes me feel like I'm rolling out of a sleeping bag after a night of hitting the bong in Santa Cruz...and Sarah Anne Johnson has already done a better job of capturing that feeling.
Posted by: Julio | May 04, 2007 at 01:22 PM
I cant say I see anything special here. Maybe It's because I'm not wearing my 'visionary' spectacles
Posted by: Howard Johnson | May 04, 2007 at 07:11 PM
Good one. Thanks
Posted by: Sunil Gangadharan | May 07, 2007 at 01:07 AM
I've stacked my Beck's bottles up to 5 levels, then I drank them all.
Posted by: mark | May 07, 2007 at 09:32 AM
The Kavi Gupta Gallery Rocks!
This works does have a strong connection to Ryan McGinley... but just not with the same sexual energy or tension.
Posted by: TommyB | May 07, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Okay, I am officially disappointed, you went to Art Chicago and all you can post was those photos?! There must be something more special than that in Chicago...
Posted by: cocoguy | May 08, 2007 at 04:24 AM
I think her work does a good job of capturing the hippy revival thing in a non-obnoxious way.
Reminds me of this artist:
http://www.guildgreyshkul.com/artists/mariah_robertson/index.php?id=0
Posted by: Horton | May 08, 2007 at 10:11 AM
seriously, take a look at sarah anne johnson's work and tell me it isn't this stuff only more: http://www.saulgallery.com/chronicle/johnson_tree.html
Posted by: Lex Hortensia | May 08, 2007 at 07:11 PM
Hippy revival? Maybe hippy revival light. Feels more new age to me. Some of these I like but I have a hard time getting a feeling of what her photos all mean, individually and as a whole. And a lot of her photos at kavi gupta... it feels like I'm looking at a photodisc catalog. I'd wait and see how she develops or comes together before buying into this. Maybe worth watching?
Posted by: Art Brute | May 09, 2007 at 03:22 PM
to me her photos mean nothing at all-3rd. rate at best -the new
flavor of the month -with all the manufactured hype she will have some sort of run -the photo world
is so filled with mediocrity.
Posted by: ariel | May 18, 2007 at 12:52 PM
Hey MAO,
I had the pleasure of befriending Melanie during a residency with Marlene McCarty at The Atlantic Center for the Arts last June. In fact, I assisted with mud management for some of the photos. In return she helped me shoot my Janie Jones images. www.janiejones1979.com
I think her work is amazing and quietly thoughtful yet political, making me think of Ana Mendieta and Francesca Woodman. I'm surprised you would think of Ryan McGinley as I don't see the connection.
Posted by: Jane's World | May 23, 2007 at 07:48 PM
every time I try to post here it says someone else made the comment. Weird.
That was Jane's World not Ariel talking about the ACA.
Love the blog - always very informative!
Jane
Posted by: Jane's World | May 23, 2007 at 07:50 PM
Those underwater photos are amazing, I could stare at those for hours.
http://www.artmarketblog.com
Posted by: Nicholas Forrest | May 30, 2007 at 06:55 PM
Crap. Why don't you just jump on Flickr? You'll find more talent and vision within 15 min.
Posted by: Yelsew | August 07, 2007 at 08:27 PM