Statement
I'm interested in the universal psychology of the everyday, then making it my own. My multi media practice (painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation) finds its psychological analogues in the blurring of beauty and grotesquerie, nostalgia and critique.  Whether I am honoring and disrupting the integrity of the picture plane or testing the limits of autobiographical reference, I situate this practice in a place where high and low (social status) not only interact but cross-pollinate. 

From early on, I engaged in a conversation between painting and sculpture, making artworks from fragments of the home: appliance doors, household enamel paints, imitation wood wall paneling, curtains, bottle caps, and family snapshots. My work suggests an alternative narrative of how and why visual ideas develop; because my language draws in such a large part from the private realm of domestic environments, I hope my artwork elicits emotional responses that are both uncannily familiar and sometimes, disarmingly strange.

Curriculum Vitae

Education
1986-1990, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY

Solo Exhibitions
2018
Town and Country, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson, AZ
2016
Robert Melee, Beeler Gallery, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH
Semi-Quasi-Bower Recreational, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2015
Its Last Move, David Castillo Gallery, Miami, FL
2014
a dozen Roses, Higher Pictures, New York, NY
2011
Triscuit Obfuscation, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2010
Robert Melee, David Kordansky, Los Angeles, CA
2008
Robert Melee, City Hall Park, New York, NY
Unshamelessfulnessly, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2006
Robert Melee's Poplar, Ingalls & Associates, Miami, FL
2005
Robert Melee, Sutton Lane Gallery, London, England
In Between False Comforts, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2003
Robert Melee, Art Statements, Art 34 Basel, Switzerland
2002
You, Me and Her, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2001
Robert Melee’s Unit, Corcoran Museum, Washington D.C.
2000
Units, Jay Jopling / White Cube, London, England
Unit, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
1999
Robert Melee Movies, Centre Gallery, Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, FL
1998
Robert Melee, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
1996
Baloneyism, Bravin Post Lee, New York, NY
White Room, White Columns, New York, NY

Museum Exhibitions and Biennials
2017
Body Talk, The Rose Museum, Waltham, Massachusetts
2014
Outside the Lines: Rites of Spring, The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Houston, TX
2010
It's All American, curated by Alex Gartenfeld and Haley Mellin, New Jersey MoCA, Asbury Park, NJ
Portugal Arte 10, curated by Stefan Simchowiz, Portugal Biennial, Lisbon, Portugal
2009
Arena Mexico, Guadalajara, Mexico
hit it big, Mason Gross School of the Arrs, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Wild Exaggeration, The Grotesque Body in Contemporary Art, Haifa Museum of Art, Haifa, Israel
2005
Make It Now: New Sculpture in NY Sculpture Center, Long Island City, NY
Greater New York, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Museum, Long Island City, NY
2004
Currents 31 : Robert Melee, curated by Stefano Basilico, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Adaptive Behavior, curated by Dan Cameron, Yukie Kamiya and Trevor Smith New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY
2001
Robert Melee’s Unit, Corcoran Museum, Washington D.C.

 

AWARDS/RESIDENCIES
2018
Artist in residence, Tucson MOCA, Tucson MOCA
2015
Pollock-Krasner Award, New York, NY
2010
Residency, Center For Contemporary Art (Futura), Prague
2001
Residency, National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, Miami, FL

Group Exhibitions
2016
6s and 7s, Marlborough Chelsea, New York, NY
2015
Dark Matter, Litvak Contemporary, Tel Aviv, Israel
Colors, Louis B. James Gallery, New York, NY
2013
More Young Americans, Hotel de Miramion, Paris
I Killed My Father, I Ate Human Flesh, I Quiver With Joy: An Obsession With Pier Paolo Pasolini, curated by Invisible-Exports, Allegra LaViola Gallery, New York, NY
Deep Cuts, curated by David Humphrey and Wendy White, Anna Kustera, New York, NY
2012
hue and cry, curated by Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Sotheby's S/2 Gallery, New York, NY
Space Invaders, curated by Karin Bravin, Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, NY
I glove U, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond VA
2011
Norfolk, Thierry Goldberg, New York, NY
Notes on Notes On Camp, Invisible Exports, New York, NY
With One Color, curated by Paul Frank McCabe, Van De Weghe Fine Art, New York, NY
Dust To Settle, Cuchifritos (New Museum’s Festival of Ideas for the New City), New York, NY
Living Live, LGBT Center, New York, NY
2010
NY/Prague 6, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud Futura - Center for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic
Portugal Arte 10, curated by Stefan Simchowitz, Portugal Biannual, Lisbon, Portugal
Lush Life, curated by Franklin Evans, Lehmann Maupin, New York, NY
Reel Subjects, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2009
Bad Habits, curated by Heather Pesanti, Albright-Know Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
Glitterati, curated by Thomas Woodruff and Aaron Cobbett Headquarters, New York, NY
LOVER, curated by Kate Gilmore & Candice Madey, On Stellar Rays, New York, NY
Glamour Bomb, Parlor Gallery, Abury Park, NJ
2008
It's Not Over Yet, Invisible-Exports, New York, NY
Looking Back, Mireille Mosler, Ltd. New York, NY
Mamma's Boy, Comme il Faut Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2007
Neointegrity, Derek Eller Gallery, New York, NY
Warhol and..., Kantor/Feuer Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
The Lath Picture Show, Friedrich Petzel Gallery, New York, NY
Artists’ Self-Portraits as Porn Stars, curated by Omar Lopez-Chahoud Circus of Books, West Hollywood, CA
2006
The shape of jazz, Clifford Chance, Dinaburg Arts LLC, New York, NY
Lisa Kirk’s Greatest Hits, Wayward Canon, London, United Kingdom
2005
Painting the Edge, Galerie Do_Hyundai, Korea
Summer Group Show, Sutton Lane Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Can I Get A Witness, curated by Dean Daderko, Longwood Gallery, Bronx, New York, NY
2003
Mama's Boy, curated by Jane Harris, White Columns, New York, NY
The Outlaw Series, curated by Lisa Kirk, New York, NY
Greetings from New York: A Painting Show, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria
YOU, curated by Lisa Kirk, Royal Modern Gallery, New York, NY
The TaDa Show, The Annex, New York, NY
2002
The Longest Winter, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
Monitor, Volume 2, Gagosian Gallery, New York, NY
Flesh for Fantasy, Javogue & Ingalls Fine Arts, Miami Beach, FL
Family, curated by Jessica Hough, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT
Wonderland, Aeroplastics Contemporary, Brussels, Belgium
Super-Heroes, Galerie Edward Mitterrand, Geneva, Switzerland
State of the Gallery, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
2001
American Spirituality, Audiello Fine Art, Inc. New York, NY
Skank, Plus Ultra, Brooklyn, NY
2000
Exposure: Recent Acquisitions from the Doron Sebbag Art Collection, O.R.S. Ltd, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel
Mount Miami, Tel Aviv Artists Studio, Tel Aviv, Israel
Achieving Failure: Gym Culture, curated by Bill Arning, collaboration with Meredith Danluck, the Thread Waxing Space, New York, NY
1999
Group Show, Ambrosino Gallery, Miami, FL
Group Show, Cartervous & Time, Whales, United Kingdom
1998
Sassy Nuggets, Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York, NY
Pet Shop, Nicholas Davies & CO, New York, NY
1996
Doggy Style, curated by Rick Prol, Space, New York, NY
The Joy of Painting, curated by Alix Lambert, HERE, New York, NY
Maux Faux, Richard Feldman Fine Arts, New York, NY
Summer Show, Richard Anderson Fine Arts, New York, NY
1993
Dirty Birds, Wooster Gardens, New York, NY
1992
7 Rooms, 7 Shows, P.S.1 Museum, Long Island City, NY
Neurotic Art Show, Artist Space, New York, NY
1991
Home, Home For Contemporary Arts, New York, NY
1990
Visual Art Gallery, curated by Steve Keister, New York, NY

Performances
2010
Robert Melee's Talent Show, The Kitchen, New York, NY
2005
Robert Melee's Talent Show, The Kitchen, New York, NY
2003
This Is For You, Movement Research at the Judson Church, New York, NY

Bibliography
2016
Harris, Jane. "Robert Melee." Art in America, April 22
Schewendener, Martha, “Robert Melee, ‘Semi-Quasi-Bower Recreational.” The New York Times, January 28
Fateman, Johanna, “Robert Melee.” Artforum, January
2014
Wilson, Siona, “Robert Melee: A Dozen Roses.” Art Review, October
Harris, Jane, "Mommy Dearest: An Interview With Robert Melee," The Huffington Post, December 8
Keckler, Joseph, "a dozen Roses, Robert Melee on Photographing His Mother," VICE, July 9
2013
“Robert Melee: This is For You.” Newmuseum.org
2010
McGarry, Kevin. “Jersey, Sure.” Artforum.com, October 30
Mendelsohn, John. “Robert Melee: The Magnetic Grotesque.” Sculpture Magazine, November
Ozuna, Tony. "New York state of mind." Prague Post, September 22
2008
Vogel, Carol. "Inside Art, New in City Hall Park." The New York Times, Decenmber 19
Rosenberg, Karen. "Rober Melee." The New York Times, November 7, p. C31
2007
Smith, Roberta. "In These Shows, the Material Is the Message." The New York Times, August 10, p. E29
Lopez-Chahud, Omar. “Robert Melee.” Zing, Issue 21
Saltz, Jerry. ”Non-Specific Objects”. Modern Painters, March, p.32-34
2006
Cotter, Holland. "The World Tour Rolls Into Town, Sprawling but Tidy." The New York Times, March 10
2005
Barliant, Claire. “Robert Melee.” Artforum, December
Objekt International. cover, p. 132. issue # 31
Harris, Jane. "Robert Melee In Between False Comforts." Time Out NY, 27 October - 2 November, p.74
Webster, Peter. "Robert Melee, A Blissfully Impudent Artist Finds Contentment in New Jersey." New York Home, November-December, p. 48-50
Young, Stephanie. "Dark Laughter." Blender Magazine, Fall/ Winter
Genocchio, Benjamin."Robert Melee Turned His Back on New York and
Gladly Moved To Asbury Park."The New York Times, May 22
Cotter, Holland, "A Different Kind of Never-Never Land." The New York Times, May 3, p. 5E
White, Rodger. "Looking Good and Meaning Well." n + 1
2004
Johnson, Ken. "Adapting and Constructing in a Dizzly Changing World."
The New York Times, Friday, September 24, p. E 35
Krenz, Marcel. "Adaptive Behavior." Flash Art November, December
Auer, James. "’Mommy’ will shock and entertain you." Journal Sentinel, July
2003
Rodriguez, Liana. “Coming Attractions.” Loft, Summer
Mack, Gerhard. “Messe der Rekorde.” Art: das Kunstmagazin, No. 6, June
“Art Basel: Robert Melee, Her Curtains.” Beaux Arts Magazine, No. 229, June
Robinson, Walter. “Basel ABC.” artnet.com, June
Marzahn, Alexander and Gerig, Karen N. "Das Reaktionsvermögen verblüfft schon vor dem Startschuss." Basler Zeitung, June 18
2002
“The Aldrich Museum.” Tema Celeste, August
Sims, Carol. “The Aldrich Takes on ‘Family’.” Antiques and Arts Weekly, June 14
Ocana, Damarys. “The Longest Winter.” The Miami Herald, October 6
Schwan, Gary. “Feel like chillin’?Take a cold, hard look at these exhibits.” The Palm Beach Post October 6
Sheffield, Skip. “‘The Longest Winter’ exhibit opens at FAU.” Boca Raton News, September 15
Saltz, Jerry. “Mommie Queerest”. The Village Voice. 25 September– 1 October.
“Robert Melee” The New Yorker 24 September.
Cotter, Holland. “Robert Melee; You Me and Her.” The New York Times, September 20
Brundage, Brita. “Disrobing the Family ” Fairfield County Weekly, May 23-29
“Family.” Antiques and the Arts Weekly, May 3
Luft, Scot. “University Galleries prepare for ‘Winter’ season.” Boca Raton Times. August 14
Tupohy, Laurel. “family.” The New-Times, June 7
Yablonsky, Linda. “Painting the Town.” Time Out New York, March 7-14
Smith, Roberta. “Brice Delsperger.” The New York Times, March 8
2001
“Art and Outrage." CBS News T.V. Special, Fall
O’Sullivan. Michael. “Selections Troubling and Beautiful.” Washington Post, June 15
Binstock, Jonathan. “Robert Melee”. Fellowship in the Visual Arts brochure, June 6 – July 19
Cotter, Holland. “Skank.” The New York Times, June 1
2000
“smock walk gallery tour.” Smock Magazine, Fall/Winter
Harris, Mark. “Robert Melee.” Art Monthly, September
Currah, Mark. “Robert Melee.” Time Out London, August 9-16
“Robert Melee.” Independent Study, July 30
Guner, Fisun. “Robert Melee.” What’s On in London, July 26
Cotter, Holland. “Marilyn Minter.” The New York Times, May 5
Levin, Kim. “Voice Choice.” The Village Voice, April 25
Smith, Roberta. “Art in Review.” The New York Times, April 21
Moreno, Gene. “Miami Art Review.” Art Papers, March – April
1999
Feinstein, Roni. “Miami Heats Up.” Art in America, December
Moshkovits, Boris. “More than Mambo.” Flash Art, November-December
1998
Arning, Bill. “Art Review.” Time Out, September 17-24
Brack, Yvette. “Art Review.” Time Out, July 23-30
Kley, Elisabeth. "Color of Memory." artnet.com
Cotter, Holland.“Art in Review.” The New York Times, July 10
1996
Levin, Kim. “Voice Choice.” The Village Voice, March 12
1995
Levin, Kim. “Voice Choice.” The Village Voice, March 21
Karmel, Pepe. “Art in Review.” The New York Times, March 24
1992
Levin, Kim. “Voice Choice.” The Village Voice, December 22

Catalogues
2015
Dark Matter, Litvak Contemporary, Tel Aviv, Israel
2014
This Mess is a Place: A Collapsible Anthology of Collections and Clutter, And Publishing, London, UK
2008
Mama’s Boy, Comme Il Faut. Tel Aviv, Israel
2005
Painting the Edge. Gallery Hyundai, Korea
Make It Now. Sculpture Center. Long Island City, NY
2002
Family. The Adlrich Museum
2001
I am a Camera. The Saatchi Collection. Booth and Clibborn Editions, London, UK
Exposure: Recent Acquisitions from the Doran Sebbag Art Collection, ORS Ltd.
Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Tel Aviv, Israel
2000
Katz-Freiman, Tami. Mount Miami: American Artists in Tel Aviv.
1999
Tomcic, Goran. Robert Melee’s Home Movies, Miami-Dade Community College
Special Projects
2006
Untitled site-specific installation, Legion, New York, NY
Complete set design for Michael Portnoy’s- The Big K, the Kitchen, New York, NY
2004
K48, issue #5
2002
Whitney Museum of American Art, Panel discussion on Robert Melee's work for
Initial Public Offerings (I.P.O.): New Artists, New Curators series, New York, NY
1999
Zing Magazine- Winter Issue 1999, by John Connelly
1998
National Foundation for the Advancements in the Arts, Miami Residency
1997
Zapp Video Magazine, Robert Melee Movies, Issue #9 & 10, Amsterdam
1994-1996
Robert Melee Movies, NY Cable, Channel 17, 34
1995
Showtime: Drawings by Robert Melee, Nicholas Davies & Co., New York, NY
1993
Bomb, Me & Mommy, Winter Issue
1990
Robert Melee’s Mommy, Window Installation, 17th ST., New York, NY