WKR (Well-Known REALITIE2S), 2024
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 80 x 80 cm
Location: Artist’s Studio London
Description:
Rafael Melendez's WKR (Well-Known REALITIE2S) showcases a synthesis of geometric precision and organic spontaneity. A purple background with a white dot grid sets a rhythmic foundation, intersected by large, irregular red shapes with amoebic contours. Tangled black threads within these shapes create a dynamic contrast, adding texture and movement.
Melendez's technique involves layering primed canvases and applying paint with expressive strokes, embracing imperfections. He incorporates stencils, twine, yarn, and plastic tarps to add depth and texture. The imagery deconstructs and reforms, challenging artistic conventions and encouraging experimentation. *WKR* is an invitation to view painting as an evolving medium, transcending boundaries and definitions.
ER (Envisioned REALITIE2S), 2024
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 80 x 80 cm
Location: Artist Studio
Description:
Rafael Melendez's painting, ER (Envisioned REALITIE2S), 2024, showcases a vibrant interplay of geometric precision and organic spontaneity. The composition centres on a neon green background adorned with a grid of purple dots, creating a rhythmic foundation. This grid is surrounded by a border of alternating green and purple dots, adding a structured frame to the piece.
Intricate blue threads weave erratically across the neon green centre, forming tangled, free-form shapes that contrast sharply with the orderly dot pattern. This juxtaposition of structured and chaotic elements creates a dynamic visual tension.
Melendez's technique highlights his meticulous layering and bold use of colour. The painting invites viewers to explore the interplay between order and chaos, encouraging a deeper reflection on the boundaries and possibilities of artistic expression.
LR (Legendary REALITIE2S), 2024
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 80 x 80 cm
Location: Artist Studio
Description:
Rafael Melendez's painting, LR (Legendary REALITIE2S), 2024, features a striking interplay of colour and form. A purple background dominates the composition, overlaid with circular shapes in varying sizes and colours. These circles create a sense of rhythmic complexity and depth.
The circles are filled with vibrant orange, green, blue, and yellow hues, each with unique textures and patterns. Some circles exhibit striped patterns, adding a layer of visual interest. The upper portion of the painting includes a dark purple shape, partially obscuring the circles beneath it and adding a sense of layering and depth.
The use of overlapping circles and varied textures creates a dynamic tension between order and chaos, much like Melendez's other works. The painting invites viewers to explore the intricate interplay of colours and forms, encouraging a deeper reflection on the boundaries and possibilities of artistic expression.
Melendez's meticulous technique, involving the careful layering of colours and textures, highlights his bold approach to painting. *LR (Legendary REALITIE2S)* challenges traditional artistic conventions, urging viewers to embrace a new perspective on the potential of abstract art.
CR (Cunt REALITIE2S), 2024
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 20 x 30 cm
Location: Artist Studio
Description:
Rafael Melendez's painting, CR (Cunt REALITIE2S), 2024, presents a vivid and textured composition that captivates the viewer with its intricate interplay of colour and form. The painting features a background of purple adorned with a grid of variously sized circles in shades of green, blue, pink, and white, establishing a vibrant and rhythmic foundation.
Tangled threads of purple and yellow dominate the centre of the piece, creating a chaotic yet visually compelling focal point. These threads weave and loop across the canvas, adding a three-dimensional quality that contrasts sharply with the flat, patterned background. Using thick, textured yarn intensifies the sense of movement and depth.
Melendez's combining paint with mixed media elements, such as yarn, emphasizes his innovative approach to traditional painting. The overlapping patterns and textures invite viewers to explore the dynamic tension between structure and disorder. This piece challenges the boundaries of conventional painting by merging various materials and techniques.
CR (Cunt REALITIE2S) encourages a deeper reflection on the complexity of perception and the endless possibilities of artistic expression. It is a testament to Melendez's ability to blend meticulous detail with spontaneous creativity, pushing the viewer to embrace a multifaceted interpretation of the painting.
PR (Precise REALITIE2S), 2024
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 20 x 30 cm
Location: Artist Studio
Description:
The painting LR (Loose REALITIE2S), 2024, blends structured patterns and spontaneous creativity. The background features a grid of cream-coloured dots on a black canvas, created using a "mono stencil" technique with coins from the UK, Europe, and other countries. Spray painting over the coins leaves a negative pattern where the coins cover the canvas. Surrounding this are vibrant green and orange dots.
The centre showcases vivid textures and colours with orange and blue crackle paint and patches of green and white, suggesting organic disintegration and rebirth. Materials like tape and textured fragments add three-dimensionality.
This piece invites exploration of the tension between control and randomness. It blends meticulous detail with spontaneous creativity, challenging conventional painting boundaries.
LR (Loose REALITIE2S), 2024
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 20 x 30 cm
Location: Artist Studio
Description:
Melendez's painting, LR (Loose REALITIE2S), 2024, blends structured patterns and spontaneous creativity. The background features a grid of cream-coloured dots on a black canvas, created using a "mono stencil" technique with coins from the UK, Europe, and other countries. Spray painting over the coins leaves a negative pattern where the coins cover the canvas. Surrounding this are vibrant green and orange dots.
The centre showcases vivid textures and colours with orange and blue crackle paint and patches of green and white, suggesting organic disintegration and rebirth. Materials like tape and textured fragments add three-dimensionality.
This piece invites exploration of the tension between control and randomness. It blends meticulous detail with spontaneous creativity, challenging conventional painting boundaries.
God, 2023
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 45 x 30 cm
Location: Artist Studio
Description:
Rafael Melendez's painting, God, 2023, is a mixed-media piece that combines vibrant colours and unconventional materials. The canvas features a background of intersecting blue, green, and yellow lines, creating a dynamic, web-like pattern. Strands of yarn in matching colours extend from the edges, adding a tactile, three-dimensional element.
Central to the composition are two circular objects: a black ring and a white, hollow cylinder, possibly a roll of paper, juxtaposed against the energetic background. These elements create a stark contrast and introduce an intriguing, symbolic layer to the piece.
Melendez's innovative use of materials and bold colours invites viewers to explore themes of complexity and interconnectedness. The painting challenges traditional boundaries, encouraging a deeper reflection on the nature of divinity and artistic expression.
Arena for the Normalization of Character - Dual Nature, 2021
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 19.7 x 21 cm
Exhibited: Brooklyn Stand 4 Gallery
Description:
Rafael Melendez's painting, Arena for the Normalization of Character - Dual Nature, 2021, features a striking composition blending abstract and figurative elements. The background showcases geometric patterns in shades of blue, green, and purple, creating a stained-glass effect.
At the centre, a circular frame holds a smaller, detailed portrait of a face characterized by sharp lines and vibrant colours. The face, with its expressive blue eyes and multicoloured hair, contrasts with the abstract backdrop, highlighting the duality of the composition.
The painting explores themes of identity and complexity, merging traditional portraiture with abstract forms. Melendez's innovative use of mixed media and colour emphasizes the contrast between structured patterns and detailed representation, inviting viewers to reflect on the character's multifaceted nature.
Arena for the Study of Reality - The Unity of Opposites, 2021
Artist: Rafael Melendez
Medium: Acrylic, mixed media
Dimensions: 19.7 x 21 cm
Exhibited: Stand 4 Gallery, Brooklyn
Description:
Rafael Melendez's painting, Arena for the Study of Reality - The Unity of Opposites, 2021, masterfully blends abstract and figurative elements. The background features vibrant, swirling red, blue, and green geometric patterns, creating a dynamic base.
Central to the composition is a circular frame containing a rich, multicoloured abstract swirl with a classical statue in the middle, juxtaposed against the background. Below, a collage of deer grazing adds a naturalistic touch, contrasting with the abstract surroundings.
This piece explores themes of unity and opposition, merging classical imagery with modern abstraction. Melendez's innovative use of mixed media and vivid colours emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of contrasting elements, inviting viewers to reflect on the balance and interplay between different realities.