Rafael T. Melendez, Visualizing Works On Paper

(click on text to visit Link)

My friend LaRon came over to the studio yesterday and did a quick video snipet of a bio for his "My Small Story" site. Check it out the fun I had talking to him, while he filmed away. Also there's hundreds of other New Yorkers giving him personal testemonies that aren't sensationalized by corporate media greed. I also want to thank Coco for organizing this cool meeting.

RTM RTM RTM RTM RTM RTM RTM

 

24 Drawings from the RTM Archives

(click over drawing to enlarge)

  


 

  

  

24 Drawings from the RTM Archives

(click over drawing to enlarge)

9 Untitled Large Scale Drawings 2011

Graphite on paper each piece measures about 24x 36 inches 

on various types of papers

These are images of figures in various states of emotional dilemmas and heightened states of fashion awareness.  They remind me of how I see people on the street, friends, strangers and celebrities hide and/or project their feelings through style and mannerisms. Though my lines are clean and simple I try to generate an extreme portrayal of emotions and relations to the outside world with these drawings.

                         

    (click on individual image to enlarge)

        

4 New Oversized Works on Paper from 2011 

Bridges Bridges Bridges Bridges, 2011,96 x 96 inches mixed media on paper with incisions

The Regeneration of Everything, 2011, 46 x 54 inches, Mixed Media on paper including photocopies,  newspaper, original drawings and collage

Goddess, 2011, 50 x 64 inches, Mixed Media on paper 

Pyramid, 2011, 36 x 46 inches, Mixed Media on photocopy

Love Starts at Zero 

Saturday Night Fever, 2009

21 works-on-paper

each 10.5 x 8 inches

These pieces were conceived in Bay Ridge,  Brooklyn in the course of a weekend retreat from the city in 2009.  

I wasn't really thinking about making artwork this "lovely weekend", BUT on my way to Bobby's "love nest" I stopped at the .99¢ store. There I struck love at the art supply section, I could not resist. I stocked up on a crappy compass, glue sticks, construction paper and Graph paper. Along with my style magazines and other mind stimulating reads I was set for what ever came my way I thought.  

My motivation for this work was running into my cracked out EX in front of my building while heading to my present lover/boyfriend (at the time). This experience plus the way love is portrayed in the media set the tone for these fetish oriented heart pieces. I couldn't get over how different love is each and every time.

These are also the precursors for A Giant Million Hearts Piece (far bottom) a dear friend and collector purchased from me.

( click to enlarge image)