Into The Deep – The Visionary World of Dean Melbourne

Artist, arts educator, writer, poet, and self-proclaimed romanticist, UK artist Dean Melbourne is each of these things.
With a BA(hons) in painting, Dean’s work is a disarming combination of visual rhetoric and conceptual fantasy. I became acquainted with his work a year ago last summer, initially drawn by the rich vivid colors and exotic symbolism that brought to mind the post impressionists. As is often the case with any exceptional talent, there is always something more than meets the eye, and when I encounter it, the word that comes to mind is ‘layers.’



Dean’s paintings are dense with symbolic allegorical layers that intuitively resonate on a subconscious level. They are neither surreal nor logical, but exist somewhere suspended between both worlds. Imagine Gauguin and Samuel Beckett slipping down the rabbit hole with Lewis Carroll…you get the picture. I recently had the opportunity to interview this multifaceted artist about his work, what inspires him, and current and upcoming projects. The paintings speak for themselves…enjoy the ride!







GH: Your paintings seem to recreate idealized versions of humanity, including pop culture, fashion, even literary works. How do you come up with your subject matters? What inspires you?


DM: I would say I’m a romantic. The more I read about the 19th century Romantic mentality the more it seems to describe me. You are right to say that lots of things inspire me. At first glance it looks very varied, but I think there is a real thread running through the things I am attracted to that is about the symbolic and theatrical. The biggest change for me right now is a fascination with landscape. With the very British tradition of using landscape to describe or symbolise something internal.


GH: How did you get connected with Coates & Scarry, and what has your experience been thus far?

DM: They have been great for me. My first representation, and they are so passionate about working hard for their artists. They put a lot in and take risks, and they do what they say they will. That is rare in my experience. They asked me to be in a big group show they did at the Royal West of England Academy called Natural/Unnatural, which featured some great international artists. The work was well received and we have gone from there really.



GH: What are you trying to communicate through your paintings? Can you describe your creative process?

DM: These are huge questions. Each painting has its own idea if you like, its own small notion. I guess overall I am trying to get people to make associations and indulge in an atmosphere; I think the atmosphere is a bit like a piece of theatre.






GH: I see bits of post impressionism in your work. I think I told you one artist that came to mind was Gauguin, as your palate is extraordinary, very bold. What sort of art do you identify most with and who are your influences?

DM: My most consistent influence right now is Bonnard. I identify with painting post impressionism really. I really never expected to make paintings with kinds of colour. It’s not how I think of myself painting even now really. I remember a fellow student of mine saying I chose a very particular way of combining colours, I just thought I was rubbish at it. It is naturally Fauve I think, and a bit German Expressionist. Right now I am just letting it come out and not trying to be too controlling about it.



GH: What do you like/hate about the art world, and do you believe art should be funded?

DM: The art world is such a complex and varied thing. I can't let myself think about it really. I know there is a million ways to make yourself feel like you are not good enough by trying to think about it all. Pass on the funding question!





GH: Joseph Beuys had a saying, “everyone is an artist.” Do you believe artistic ability to be innate, or is it something anyone can learn?

DM: I think there are two things. The first is the skills to make art, to paint, model, etc., and the world seems full of very technically proficient and highly skilled artists. Anyone can learn any of the skills, yes. Then there is another thing that has to do with a curious mind and a desire to say something in some way new, or at least to say something. I think that can be developed too, but is often overlooked. Some people paint, others are painters; some people make pictures, others make paintings. It is important to say that either is perfectly fine, and I admire the skills of many people who I think "do painting" instead of being a painter. I just think that you have to know which you are.



GH: Very well said! If you could have dinner with 3 creative figures from history, not necessarily artists (living or dead), who would they be?


DM: Maybe Oscar Wilde, Pierre Bonnard, Samuel Palmer.



GH: In our sensory-overloaded word, where artists have unlimited access to so many mixed media processes, is traditional “painting” still relevant?

DM: I really don't know. I am very romantic about painting and its heritage, and painting is such a varied thing now that I think it finds all sorts of audiences for many reasons. Oscar Wilde's idea that all art is and should be quite useless is one that I agree with. I don't really care if I am relevant; that is the job of popular culture and the media.








GH: What’s next for you?

DM: Next up is another Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London and then I hope to be able to share an exciting couple of shows early next year! I am working on new work and trying to let it just flow. I just love being in the studio and engaging with the work at the moment.

Dean Melbourne has exhibited widely, including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2009-2010), and the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, 2012. He is currently represented by Coates & Scarry in Bristol, UK.

To read more, visit the artist’s websites at:

http://www.deanmelbourne.com/

http://deanmelbourne.wordpress.com/