Jane Mellor
At the moment I am in a state of flux with my work and have been through a time of frustration and confusions with my art practice. Until recently I made drawings by the slow process of layering graphite pencil strokes onto paper, each mark a visual record of the presence and action of the human hand. I made drawings in response to objects, environments and events in the world, using both reading and photography, as well as photos, tracings and life drawing from my own body, as source material. This has been influenced by becoming a founder member of Third Bite Dance, a performance group for over 50’s, whereby my body movements themselves create invisible and fleeting drawings through space.
However I am now working in a completely different way using felt tips, biros, coloured inks and crayons. I am currently drawing in response to reading ‘Otherlands’ by Thomas Halliday, a book on the prehistoric life on earth. I am enjoying the freedom and expressiveness of colour, I am on an unknown but exciting journey.
In contrast my membership of Sheffield based utk, merges my individual identity as an artist, with that of three other artists. We respond to social and political issues with installations in galleries, site specific and public art contexts. Humour is central to our practice and the resultant work generally comes under the collective identity of utk.
Exhibitions/Installations/DancePerformances
2024 – Prosaic Gallery, Bloc Project Space, Sheffield
Kitchen Sink Drama utk
2024 – Fronteer Gallery, SheffieldMeet the Locals
2023 – Rest and Roll Third Bite Dance, Sheffield University drama studio performance choreographed by Lucy Haighton
2022 – Anniversay Third Bite Dance, Sheffield University drama studio performance choreographed by Alan Lyddiard
2022 – Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield The Environment exhibition
2022 – NDC Wales 2 day residency and film
2021 – This is how gorgeous it feels on line film Third Bite Dance, Sheffield directed by Lucy Haighton
2021 – Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield Contemporary Portraits exhibition
2021 – Old Lock Up Gallery iso 2021 on-line exhibition
2020 – Harley Gallery Open Welbeck, Nottinghamshire
2020 – Old Lock Up Gallery iso 2020 on-line exhibition
2019 – Touch Down, utk exhibition at BLOC Projects, Sheffield: Drawing.
2018 – Sense of Place, White Space, Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield: Drawing.
2015 – EWINFIA utk Installation Bank Street Arts, Sheffield
2013 – Salisbury Open Exhibition: Drawing
2013 – Anonymous, ROAR, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
2013 – Hutton's Unconformity, utk Installation, Hutton's Buildings, Sheffield Site specific
2012 – Assembly13: BIRTHDAY! , Block Projects, Sheffield
2012 – Drawing and Illustration Season 3, Bank St Arts, Sheffield
2010 _ Knights Tour utk Installation, Bank St Arts Residency, Sheffield
2009 – A42D, BLOC Projects, Sheffield
2009 – Clifton School Sculpture, Clifton Community Arts School, Rotherham
2008 – My dogs got no nose…, utk Installation, Sylvester Space, Sheffield
2008 – Process, HIVE Gallery, Elsecar, South Yorkshire
2007 – Scratching the Surface, BLOC Studios, Sheffield Solo Show
2005 – Just when you thought it was all going so well..., utk Installation, Graves Gallery, Sheffield
2000 – Guest House Twenty, utk Installation, Houses and workplaces in Sheffield, Sheffield Site specific
Qualifications and training
2008 – engage Watch this Space, King Edward VII School/Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Sheffield
2000 – MA Fine Art, Hallam University, Sheffield
1978 – Art Teachers' Certificate, Institute of Education, University of London, London
1976 – BA Fine Art, Leeds Art College, Leeds