I
was born 1978, in Los Angeles California. My family emigrated
here from Honduras, like most families seeking a better
life. As a child I often felt lonely and haunted. I was
very shy and suffered from paranoia. I would feel like
someone was always watching or following me. I would scream
at my own shadow. When I was in high school I felt detached
and lacked interest in my peers. I wanted something to
relate to which I soon found in my art class so I quickly
picked up the basic skills and became an art student. I
was asked to participate in several art awareness projects
for the city of San Gabriel and graduated with a scholarship
from Bank of America for the arts. After high school I
went to Rio Hondo College in Whittier, CA. My desire to
create and pursue a career in art not only became my mission
in life but a necessity. After two years there I got my
Associates in the Arts degree, and decided to study art
abroad. I moved to Paris and attended the Sorbonne. I then
returned home and enrolled in the fine arts program at
the University of Fullerton. In 2004 I graduated. I had
my first invitation to show at an established gallery in
2004, and after that I’ve been asked to exhibit in
over 25 group shows since 1998. Since graduation I’ve
run a gallery on Gallery Row in downtown Los Angeles, curated
shows, including an upcoming exhibition in Tijuana, Mexico,
worked on entertainment productions, designed clothing
and accessories, interned at a fine arts print studio,
painted murals throughout California, contributed to help
fund a school for the arts in Honduras, collaborated with
legendary graffiti artists and taught art to children with
special needs. This is my first solo exhibition.
Melly
Trochez
Some
people might misinterpret the act of painting oneself as
an act of shallowness, self- absorption or even an act
that limits the artist from being a social commentator.
In Melissa Trochez’ case, it is quite the opposite.
Her unique ability to explore the vulnerable depths of
her emotions while engaging in intimate dialogue with her
audience ultimately concludes with a hopeful optimism.
One way to experience her work is to see it as a series
that captures difficult, incomprehensible life events.
Eventually, her works evolve from self-consciousness to
hope and social awareness.
This is most evident in her diary series, her earliest body of
work, which documents her growth and development as an artist.
The unfinished sense one is left with reinforces the idea that
there is beauty in imperfection. This alludes to the fact that
she too is a work in progress. Much like her eclectic characterizations
which are often tainted with a clash of vibrant colors, her backgrounds
are filled with unfinished images that mimic the texture of scrapbooks.
Some seem to be cut from the front pages of magazines or handmade
quilts. This effect allows you to see the process of making art
without its pretentious makeup.
Her angel series, which is the most disturbing yet hopeful series,
brings the viewer into an abstract reality which is contradicting
in nature. These paradoxical depictions cast shadows of hope
through her beautiful sadness. Innocently knowledgeable of questions
instinctual to the soul she engages in conversations with angels
regarding her protection, hope, and survival. These romantic
pieces are infused by Catholic-pagan rituals, stoicism, and ominous
imagery which serve to comment on the disappointments of religion.
Her flat series, like her diary series, represent her transcendence
from self-preoccupation to social- consciousness. Here, the audience
is taken beyond her emotional dialogue and is lead to a world
of epiphanies and moral awakening. Within this animated, primary
coated series, the illusion of stagnancy is created through the
juxtaposition of comfortable hermits with distressed characters
in the background. These conflicts foreshadow the immorality
and guilt subtly associated with materialism. Ultimately, the
three series of works leave you with a hopeful feeling that progress
can be achieved even when a person’s emotional stability
is questionable. Courageously, she provides her audience with
something to believe in especially for those who have felt that
everything has let them down.
By
Hugo Velazquez
