Artist Statement

      My work explores the interconnectivity of humans and nature as well as the impact we make on the Earth. I fuse everyday events with surreal landscapes, symbolic objects and metaphoric actions to explore imbalances and delicate relationships. My most recent work utilizes zoomorphs, people fused with animals, in order to explore the relationship between man and nature. By making composite figures, the subjects are given either the powerful characteristics of the animal or are conversely imbued with the animal’s vulnerability. Through analogy and symbolism, I create visual narratives that illustrate the need for community and cooperation in order to preserve our environment. Climate change is altering landscapes and conditions, putting delicate ecological balances in peril. Everything is interconnected. Our fate and well-being rests on the health of the environment.

Melissa Cooke is a Master of Fine Arts Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Her passions in life are art, teaching and the environment.  She has exhibited regionally and internationally in over thirty group exhibits and four solo shows in the past five years.  The rapid deterioration of over thirty years of environmental policies has motivated Melissa to take a strong, yet poetic stance in her artwork. 

contact melissa:
e-mail: melissacookeart@gmail.com

All images and materials are licensed under a Creative Commons License