johnkmelvin

[johnkmelvin]

Recently, I was invited to participate in a Land Art symposium at the Villa Cernigliaro, near Turin in Italy. The Villa and park are historic, having been occupied during WWII, a center during the Anti-Fascist period, then the Fluxus Movement, and much more.  The grounds are modestly manicured, filled with a wide range of plant and tree species, but not exactly the wild nature one finds in the forest.  This built-environment of compounded histories illustrated to me, our collective misunderstanding of current events, namely the inter-connectedness of migrants and climate change.

I was drawn symbolically to the abundance of pine cones mostly from the same type of spruce on the property, and the various sizes depending on age.  My work has become incredibly more meditative and process driven of late, and I often find myself  designing a project around the need to be quiet and think.  I set about unwinding jute rope to the base strands, then fastening to each pine cone, and then braided the cones together into large groupings.   These groupings I suspended from a large beech tree silhouetted by the 19th century Villa

[johnkmelvin]

Honored to be invited to this #landart #symposium at the #villacernigliaro in #italy. We will be making something. Last ten days of this April, 20th to the 30th, 2023. Thanks for all the support. #thankful #artists. SIMPOSIO INTERNAZIONALE DI LAND ART 2023 VILLA CERNIGLIARO PARCO STORICO Residenti - residents: Myriam Kachour Gianluigi Masucci John K. Melvin Andrea Mori Giancomo Pinton Ivano Troisi Marco Scarcella Esterni - non-residents: Azam Barhami Elisa Franzoi Chiara Simone Roberta Toscano (at Villa Cernigliaro) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqcZnU0IqGd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

A project in development I hope to make soon. The model is about 5m tall. #recycle #tires #monumental #pontaven (at Pont-Aven) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpFs6k1K97e/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Wow. Thank you for the inclusion of my work in the crowd of extraordinary artists! #biennale #changwon #southkorea #sculptor #thankful (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnPpjgVoH2p/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Happy new year everyone! Hope the holidays for you and yours were peaceful and joyful. I hope we can all think of others who are less fortunate and do the most we can for them. The future depends on it. Be well. Peace. #peace #newyear #wheatpaste #guerrila #demain #tomorrow (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm6jx9VILxP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Just did these 3 new works. ‘Demain’ is tomorrow. New series that I hope provokes some questions. Each is about 2x3 meters. Thanks for all the support. #wheatpaste #papermural #streetart #guerrilla #demain #tomorrow #future (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl6NDTBo5DS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Nearly four weeks and my flour glue is still feeding moss and mold. Quite pleased!! #feedthesoil #ecoart #moss #mold #wheatpaste #streetart #guerrilla #thankful (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl53iSOr_tB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Nearly four weeks and my flour glue is still feeding moss and mold. Quite pleased!! #feedthesoil #ecoart #moss #mold #wheatpaste #streetart #guerrilla #thankful (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl53MP3o6gu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

C'est parti pour la grande nuit de Samhain ! 🔥🔥🔥 Jean-charles Guichen Morwenn & Ronan Pinc Daou Et ce n'est pas tout.... Infos / Billetterie : https://ker-pontaven.com/association-ker-prod/evenements/ Nombre de places limité, réservez vite la vôtre ! #livemusicisbetter #merci #thanks #music #pontaven (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkOTwYFIm-i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

I just voted. So can you. Democracy matters. Please do this today. #vote #votefromabroad #democracy #uscitizen (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkAvedUINPE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Absolutely love how my wheatpasting has survived nearly two weeks now. It’s growing!!! #algae #slime #mold #cancerus #wheatpasting (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj-7SufIwG5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Milk of Dreams, the 59th Powerful Venice Biennale, mind blown, humbled, and amazed by the diversity represented. So much better. more posts to follow, just some of my own selections. This year, we were really impressed by the collateral events and then some. Titans. Images followed by wall text where possible… … DUTCH PAVILLION, melanie bonajo AI WEI WEI, la comedia umana CHUN KWANG YOUNG, Hanji PALAZZO DUCALE, ANSLEM KIEFER MUSEO DE VETRO, TONY CRAIG … #melaniebonajo #aiweiwei #chunkwangyoung #anslemkeifer #tomycraig #venicebiennale #thankful #contemporaryart (at La Biennale di Venezia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8dGh-oo13/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Milk of Dreams, the 59th Powerful Venice Biennale, mind blown, humbled, and amazed by the diversity represented. So much better. more posts to follow, just some of my own selections. Images followed by wall text where possible… … KOREA PAVILLION, Yunchul Kim JAPAN PAVILLION, dumb type SAMI PAVILLION, Pauliina Feodoroff, Máret Ánne Sara, Anders Sunna DANISH PAVILLION, Uffe Isolotto RUSSIAN PAVILLION (CLOSED for WAR) … #yunchulkim #dumbtype #pauliinafeodoroff #maretannesara #anderssunna #uffeisolotto #war #women #venicebiennale #thankful #contemporaryart (at La Biennale di Venezia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8UQhMIFjt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Simone Leigh gets her own post. American Pavilion. Milk of Dreams, the 59th Powerful Venice Biennale, mind blown, humbled, and amazed by the diversity represented. So much better. more posts to follow, #simoneleigh #simoneyvetteleigh #women #venicebiennale #thankful #contemporaryart #aboutdamntime (at La Biennale di Venezia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8SRS6oeck/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Milk of Dreams, the 59th Powerful Venice Biennale, mind blown, humbled, and amazed by the diversity represented. So much better. more posts to follow, just some of my own selections. Images followed by wall text. … ULLA WIGGEN HANNAH LEVY CECILA VICUÑA KATHRINA FRITSCH … #ullawiggen #hannahlevy #cecilavicuna #kathrinafritsch #women #venicebiennale #thankful #contemporaryart #milkofdreams (at La Biennale di Venezia) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8QBF2ouya/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

Hats off to the artist collaborative ORTA at the Kazakhstan pavilion of the Venice Biennale. They rocked it. #venicebiennale #artists #kazakhstan #cardboard #genius (at Venice, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjylvIbIaZf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[johnkmelvin]

I’ve been wheatpasting on an old factory here in Pont Aven. It feels good to be working in the public space again. This image, CancerUS, is a long project of mine inspired by the faces of other drivers when I commuted to work over long distances. I keep reworking the project as I find it relevant. Too many grumpy people out there. Smiles are cheap y’all. #thankful #grumpy #cancerus #smilesarecheap (at Pont-Aven, Finistère, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjkMpu1Icg1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=