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Amy Melchior - Morph Dates: 6 Oct, 2013 - 2 Nov, 2013 Painting up a Feast Auckland artist and foodie Amy Melchior harbours a love of travelling and the fact her paintings are more of a journey than a narrative comes as no surprise. “I adore travelling and have travelled to the far reaches of the world” says Melchior. Each painting Melchior completes also signifies the end of a road less travelled, as few artists choose to work with the ancient art form of “Encaustic” (Beeswax). There is probably not a surface more enduring and hardy, as encaustic was used by the Egyptians to mummify bodies, many of which survive to this day. Not only is the process time consuming but there is a high degree of craftsmanship, skill and physicality involved in the creation of each painting. The heating and mixing of pigments and beeswax becomes one of the first steps on the path to enable the artist to create her unique palette and a basic foundation for each work. The establishment of shapes, colours, imagery and texture inspired by objects and creatures from nature, both land and sea, are a significant aspect of the work. After buffing and polishing ,the opaque and marbleized surface is finally enhanced with the etching of detailed imagery on to the surface .The end result is a compelling profusion of colour, light and texture. The shapes of the paintings for this show are noteworthy also, as the exhibition is comprised of “tondos “(circular wooden stretchers), a shape which became fashionable in Italy in the mid-15thcentury. These circular shapes add a further dimension to the somewhat mercurial surface tension apparent in these paintings. Melchior says “The depth and translucence of the medium allows the shapes to materialize and recede. They subsequently “morph” into another form. This is why I think the title “Morph “was an appropriate description for my show. It really sums up what I am trying to achieve with this technique”. Not only a highly skilled artist, Melchior is a noted chef who contributed instrumentally to the “Ripe Recipes “series of cookbooks. Melchior also works for “The Last Supper” who cater to rock stars, and has cooked for the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bjork and Blondie. Get a taste of what this multi-talented artist has cooked up for her art exhibition this month. Melchior will give an artist’s talk at 1.30pm (Understanding Encaustic: A Modern take on an ancient technique) with the Exhibition Preview opening commencing at 2 pm on Saturday 12th October. Melchior’s opening coincides with the start of Auckland Art Week which runs from 11-20 October 2013. Amy Melchior “MORPH” Saturday 12th October to 2nd November 2013