What We Make of This World, a two-person show by Melissa Shaak and Sylvia Vander Sluis, was exhibited at Fountain Street Gallery in April 2023. This blog post contains half of a conversation – Melissa’s answers to Sylvia’s questions – that was published in full on Fountain Street’s website.
Q: What were some of your inspirations for “What We Make of This World”?
A: The one that comes first to mind, that I gravitated to early on in this work, is a red spiral stake. It’s actually a tomato stake, and in the garden store I purchased five of them and stuck them in my tiny back yard, making an informal garden sculpture. Several years on, I decided to try moving and dancing with them, and that took on a life of its own. The spiral is such a powerful shape, found pretty much everywhere in the universe. For me, the spiral became both physically and symbolically important—as a way of extending my reach, the reach of the “seeker” in my videos.
Viewers can see the spiral stake in the gallery, along with the other objects I used in the show’s videos. It was fun to think about this sculptural element as tangible evidence of both my and my character’s exertions. I also like that it connects to your assemblages. I did a preliminary sketch for placing my objects in the gallery, but I’m sure it will evolve in interesting and unexpected ways during the installation!
Sketch of “Evidence” assemblage
Q: I’ve been struck by the way your work has leapt from the two-dimensional surface to become three-dimensional, and then video based in a relatively short space of time. What can you tell me about this progression?
A: The progression has been very surprising. A few years back, when I decided to make art full time, I remember thinking that I wanted to see what was “in me” artistically. Who knew? It has evolved from painting to transforming paintings into sculpture and video, which in turn led me to the intersection of video and performance art. There were some early signs though, as when Bob Siegelman, in teaching a drawing course at SMFA, recognized and encouraged my inclination to include “performative elements” when sharing my work. Or when I “married my muse” in a mock-ceremony during Creativity Lab at the New Art Center.
Improvisation at Creativity Lab, 2018
When I joined Fountain Street, I had the pleasure of getting to know two core member artists whose work in video drew me in – Allison Maria Rodriguez and Joseph Fontinha. They have generously encouraged my own experiments in video, and, while their styles are vastly different, each continues to be an important touchstone for me.
I have also been drawn to the pioneering spirit of Nam June Paik, who has been described as the “ground zero” of video art. He was wildly experimental, and often used his own persona to point to the larger theme of the artist’s place in the world. I couldn’t NOT pay tribute to him in this show, which I do in “Homage.”
Image of Nam June Paik which inspired “Homage”
While it has been a BIG learning curve, on most days I find video to be a fun and interesting challenge. I’m still working at a very basic level though, staying close to what I can do on my own as opposed to involving others or creating digital special effects. That feels truer and closer to my interests and what compels me to do video—which is to explore and embody, in my own quirky way, the creative process. To take the creative sparks and offer them up in the hope of encouraging others to do the same. It’s a deeply meaningful pursuit for me.
Q: Can you say more about the importance of supporting others? It reminds me of what you said in your artist statement about your “...deep desire to connect interior and exterior worlds.”
A: My decades working in higher education trained me to look for ways I could support individual students as well as for opportunities to develop programs and policies that helped create more access for all. I hadn’t thought about the connection before, but the word “access,” which is used widely in describing educational opportunities, also resonates for me in terms of the creative process. I came to artmaking mid-life, with no background, just following one of those sparks. And so, it was really important for me to find easy ways “in” (a big shout out in this regard for gel plate monotypes). And probably even more important to find people who would encourage me to tap into the deep well of creativity (another big shout out, this time to Adria Arch). Now it’s about passing those gifts along in whatever ways I can.
Q: What has this experience (working with Katie Semro to create an audio scape) been like for you so far? Have you ever worked with an audio creator before?
A: It has been a tremendously fun and new experience. I shipped to Katie over 20 minutes of fragmented voice recordings, and she managed to create an artful, poetic, rhythmic 2-minute piece that captures the essence of all I was trying to say. I was amazed. I think our respective audio scapes will add interest and make for a wonderful, shared element in the show. Can’t wait to see and hear.