Melissa Cooke

February 27 – April 10, 2010

“The Weasel”, 2009, graphite on paper, 50 ” x 38 ”

Available Works

“Crowd Pleaser (Self Portrait with Mustache)”, 2009, graphite on paper, 38 ” x 5

“Fairy Tales End At Midnight”, 2009, graphite on paper, 50 ” x 38 ” ,SOLD

“Removed But Still There”, 2009, graphite on paper, 50 ” x 38 ”

“Still Silent (Self Portrait as The It Girl)”, graphite on paper, 50 ” x 38 ”

“The Hard Sell (Self Portrait With Mustache)”, 2009, graphite on paper, 50 ” x 3

“This Is What You Wanted (Self Portrait With Onions)”, 2009, graphite on paper,

“It’s All Over Your Face”, 2009, graphite on paper, 50” x 38”

“Gladiator (You Told Me I Wasn’t A Fighter”, 2009, graphite on paper, 50” x 38”

Inquire about this work

Inquire about this work.

Archived Works

"Self Portrait as Giraffe", 2008, graphite on paper, 38" x 50"

"Self Portrait as Tiger", 2008, graphite on paper, 38" x 50" SOLD

"Self Portrait as Lion", 2008, graphite on paper, 38" x 50"

"Self Portrait as Gorilla", 2008, graphite on paper, 38" x 50"

“Self Portrait as Bear”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Self Portrait as Elephant”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Self Portrait as Pig #1”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Self Portrait as Pig #2”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Self Portrait as Shark”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Vacuum #1”, 2008, graphite on paper, 50”x38”

“Vacuum #2”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Vacuum #3”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

“Vacuum #4”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

"Vacuum #5", 2008, graphite on paper, 38" x 50"

“Vacuum #8”, 2008, graphite on paper, 38” x 50”

Press release: Melissa Cooke

January 22, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Melissa Cooke: You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself
Exhibition Dates: February 27 – April 10, 2010
Artist Remarks followed by Reception: Saturday, February 27, 2009, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm; Saturday: 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Public Contact: 310-836-9055

Koplin Del Rio is pleased to announce its first solo exhibition of work by emerging artist Melissa Cooke.

Based in Madison, Wisconsin and a recent MFA graduate of the University of Wisconsin, this will be Cooke’s first major gallery solo exhibition. Her powdered graphite on paper works explore themes of beauty, fantasy, violence, vulnerability and identity, with the artist casting herself as subject in a myriad of thematic scenarios. You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself explores the latent darkness and sexuality inside all of us. Cooke employs props, costumes and theatrics in order to provoke the dormant aspects of her identity. Indulging in typecasts of the artist as she draws and explores the characters, Cooke strides to internalize the expectations put forth by popular culture. Her desire is to understand the interplay of emotional instincts within relationships. The starting point for the work is derived from a real memory or truth, but the emotions become exaggerated during the artistic process. Reality is increasingly skewed by imagination; fiction becomes truth.

Melissa Cooke earned an MFA in 2008 from the University of Wisconsin. An ardent social activist, Cooke has received fellowships in support of raising awareness about environmental issues through her artwork, including the 2006 Paradise Lost Fellowship and the 2004 Wisconsin Idea Undergraduate Fellowship. She has been awarded numerous scholarships and grants, including most recently a BLINK Grant for her public art project / performance art piece, “Dress Up Wednesdays”. Her work resides in the esteemed collection of the Arkansas Art Center.

For further information or photos, please contact Ronald De Angelis at (310) 836-9055.