Melissa West

Artist Statement

My work explores the fine line between comfort and menace in our most common stories and shared experiences. The place where they meet is sometimes fraught with tension, sometimes filled with magic.

While my work has in the past often focused on myths and legends, my current work looks critically at current events. As a society we often tell radically different stories about such things as climate change, immigration, and human rights. Cries of “fake news” add confusion to the picture. Where does fact end and myth begin?

I pull a string and see where the story leads me.