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.
