Present Tense

The Art of Memphis, 2001-Now

Melissa Dunn
Pro Non-Linear
mixed media on canvas, 13x13

2003
Artist Melissa Dunn

Collection of Trey and Kate Gillow

Pro Non-Linear (2003) reflects a pivotal moment in the trajectory of Melissa Dunn's work, in that it is a part of her initial shift from painting representationally to pure abstraction. Dunn describes her love for abstraction as it being a doorway to the bare bones and formality of painting:  line, shape, color, and composition.  "With Pro Non-Linear I challenged myself with a just a few variables:  use pattern that covers the entire front of the picture plane that's executed free handed and mostly in pink. Since I didn't draw it out first and just painted each square one after the other, I knew there would be certain wonkiness to the pattern.  The title is a wink to myself that it's ok to spend hours (it took a lot of layers of pink to get it opaque!) painting an imperfect grid. It's about permission." Dunn is a longstanding Memphis artist and has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows throughout the city and nationwide since 1992.

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