Jess Merlo

Organic forms play the part of the muse for emerging contemporary painter and sculptor Jess Merlo, who creates abstract works taking inspiration from natural configurations such as the rock formations found at Bridgewater Bay Beach. Her distinctive forms flow freely between sculpture and paint as she translates initial sketches into finished artworks which exude a sense of ease and calm tranquillity. Her paintings in acrylic on board are also informed by domestic spaces, which help to create the perfectly balanced plays of colour in muted, earthy tones. Since graduating Monash University’s Fine Arts programme Merlo has continued to establish herself in the art world, building an impressive body of work. She is a co-founder of the artists-run collective The Lot, with whom she also exhibits.

How long have you been creating work as an artist, and how has your style changed and developed over this time?

I had always been playing around, sketching and painting in my spare time when I was a teenager where I slowly developed technical skills. But it was only until my final year at high school that I decided to take it a bit more seriously and study art at University. Starting art school, I believed I wanted to focus on drawing. However, I found myself exploring many different materials and techniques, eventually leaving as a sculptor and abstract painter. Since only just recently graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts at Monash University in Melbourne, I have noticed that my artistic style and aesthetic has been cemented as I continue to produce paintings and sculptures.

Can you tell us about your process in the studio, from inception to final piece?

Once I find some inspiration I start drawing shapes in my sketchbook and then keep abstracting and transforming the shape until I’m satisfied. Then I decide whether it’s fit for a painting or sculpture. If I see it as a sculpture, I carve variations of the shape into soap to visualise it in a three-dimensional context. Otherwise I paint on scrap paper, combining my compilation of inspiration onto the page.

You create both paintings and sculptural works, how do you balance the two mediums in your practice?

Having collected an assortment of shapes, colours and compositions, I make the distinction whether it will feature on a painting or as a sculpture by judging the complexity of the form.

I often find that I spend a lot of my time in the studio testing the shapes on different materials to see what fits best.

Where do you look for inspiration when creating a new work?

I often find inspiration from my everyday visual field, whether interior or exterior environments, ranging from home décor to vegetation surrounding beaches.

My work often reflects my life through the colours, shapes and materials I see throughout my day-today and it’s only until I start creating work that I slowly realise where it originated.

If I’m actively seeking inspiration I tend to take small trips out of the city and get back to nature or I’d spend an afternoon flicking through art books at the local library.

Is there a particular piece you have created recently that has stood out for you?

When I think of an artwork that has stood out to me I think about works that have the ability and power to completely stop you in your tracks and make you re-think your current artistic path. For myself, there have been two works in particular that have done just that, due to the transformation it sparked within my practice and myself.

However not so recently, back in my second year of University I tried out an Abstract Painting class taught by John Nixon. I honestly just thought it was an interesting class methodically but didn’t think the class would do much for my practice because I never saw myself being an abstract artist.

It was only a few weeks in that I painted this large black and white abstract piece that flicked a switch and basically converted me to pursue an abstract direction. Ever since, I have kept that same painting in my bedroom, throughout every move, and would never ever sell. Still to this day, every time I look at the painting, it fills me with so much excitement to create more works.

Another work that stood out was my first expandable foam sculpture. I had never truly delved into sculpture before creating that piece and once it was complete, I remember stepping back and realising that I created this enormous form myself and how surprisingly rewarding and satisfying that experience was. I previously never liked sculpture but it encouraged me to start sculpting to explore and learn new materials and techniques to push the boundaries of my forms. That single painting and sculpture changed the outlook on my artistic future and myself as an artist. Ultimately deciphering what I wanted to represent and show to the world.

What are you currently working in? Do you have any upcoming exhibitions?

I just finished exhibiting at The Other Art Fair, Melbourne and currently working through a number of commissions and applying for exhibitions.