Robert Melzmuf
Biography:
Robert Melzmuf was born in Middletown Connecticut in 1960 and attended the Hartford Art School and Southern Connecticut State University, upon graduating he worked at the New Britain Museum of American Art. In 1991 he moved to New York where he continues to paint while working for art galleries. In 2002 he was awarded a residency to the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson Vermont. He is in collections throughout the United States and Europe including the Cupelouzos Museum in Athens Greece. Since 2018 he has participated in five art festivals in Provence France.
Exhibitions & Art Fairs:
Melzmuf has shown in galleries around the United States, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC and New Haven and at Aqua Art Fair in Miami. His solo shows in New York were at Giacobetti Paul, 55 Mercer, Industrious Brooklyn, and 2/20 galleries; in France at Gallerie du Festival in Rocquebrune-sur-Argens; in group shows in New York at Galerie Makowski, Thomas Vandyke Gallery, Pace Gallery, Sideshow, Calico, and Barbara Greene Gallery, in Bargemon France at Beddington Fine Arts. His studio is at the NARS Foundation in Brooklyn.
Solo Exhibitions
2021 Galerie du Festival, Rocquebrune France
2018 Industrious Brooklyn, Brooklyn NY
2013 Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2011 Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2010 Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2006 2/20 Gallery, New York NY
2001 55 Mercer Gallery, New York NY
2000 55 Mercer Gallery, New York NY
Selected Group Exhibitions
2024 Makowski Gallery, New York NY
Aqua Art Miami, Miami FL
2023 Thomas Vandyke Gallery, Brooklyn NY
Festival D’Art Contemporian, Roquebrune-sur-Argens France
Pace Gallery, New York NY
2022 Festival D’Art Contemporian, Seillians France
Festival D-Art Contemporian, Roquebrune-sur-Argens France
Superfine, New York NY
Nars Foundation, Brooklyn NY
2021 Pace Gallery, New York NY
Festival D’Art Contemporian, Les Issembres France
2019 Beddington Fine Arts, Bargemon France
NARS, Brooklyn NY
Le Festival de Bargemon, Bargemon France
2018 Sideshow, Brooklyn NY
Le Festival de Bargemon, Bargemon France
La Bodega, Brooklyn NY
2017 Sideshow, Brooklyn NY
2016 Sideshow, Brooklyn NY
Calico, Brooklyn NY
2015 Leslie Heller Workspace, New York NY
Sideshow, Brooklyn NY
Arcelesi/Homberg, New York NY
Calico, Brooklyn NY
2014 Sideshow, Brooklyn NY
Calico, Brooklyn NY
2011 Yardmeter, Brooklyn NY
2010 NU Hotel, Brooklyn NY
2009 Giacobetti Paul Gallery, Brooklyn NY
2007 JMS Gallery, Philadelphia PA
Golden Foundation, New Berlin NY
2005 Lenz Studio, Chicago IL
2004 Space, New York NY
2002 Barbara Greene Gallery, New York NY
Gallery 325, Washington DC
2001 Gale Martin Gallery, New York NY
Barbara Greene Gallery, New York NY
1999 Margaret Bodell Gallery, New York NY
55 Mercer Gallery, New York NY
1998 John Slade Ely House, New Haven CT
1996 Bullseye Art, New York NY
1991 Artspace, New Haven CT
1990 Edward Dean Gallery, South Windsor CT
1989 Wave Gallery, New Haven CT
Bibliography
2015 From The Mayor’s Doorstep – Piri Halasz
2011 Trickhouse.org – Shelton Walsmith
2006- NeilMarshall.com – Neil Marshall
2001 NeilMarshall.com – Neil Marshall
2000 NYArts – Jeff Gordon
1993 Manhattan Spirit – Tim Cavannah
1991 New Haven Arts – Christpher Arnott
1989 New Haven Register– Dennis Fawcett
1987 New Haven Independent – Christopher Arnott.
Film
2017 Interview Robert Melzmuf – Eli Pushkar, New Look Films
Statement:
“My interest is in apainterly colorfield abstraction. I want my work to be spacious, airy, and calm; with simple and direct compositions that are gestural and clearly marked by my hand. The goal is to make beautiful paintings that engage the viewer; paintings that someone would want to live with.
So painterly, of the hand, but depicting a volume of space, which seems counter intuitive but I also see this in the paintings of Jules Olitzky, Mark Rothko, Friedel Dzubas, Larry Poons, and Richard Diebenkorn; a similar feel for abstract compositions of space with a painterly sensibility. I couldn’t make these paintings without the context of the Colorfield abstract painters; they opened the door.
Currently I’m mostly working in a theme of framing a volume [or field] of space from above and below. I build the paintings slowly, glazing layers of oil paint and cold wax to create a richly textured surface with nuanced colors. The depth of the glazes enhance the feeling of space that otherwise might be a flat field of color.
When it is all together gestural, airy, and spacious the paintings become calm, elegant, and beautiful; at least I try”.
