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Melody Farris Jackson

Racing in the Bluegrass
Kentucky Bank
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Artist Statement

"Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Art is Power…Art can change the world…

The Ancient Chinese thought that if one drew lines upon a page…it could change the world. They believed that the act of drawing could actually redirect the course of the present, or in other words, it could determine the future.  What an amazing concept.  

While the notion that art could be responsible for events the future may seem quite impossible to us now…There may be more truth in the faith of the ancients than simply on the surface.  There are countless examples of art and architecture transforming cities, inspiring youth, and healing the sick.  There is an amazing relationship between what we see and what we perceive.

Art is the power to make, see, and believe in thoughts, ideas, and faiths that are greater than ourselves…knitting us into that great community of human existence. It tells our stories of how life has been, how it is now, and how we want it to be. 

Art is Expression…

Quite similarly, I believe that art makes the world a better place. Through history, it has defined cultures, narrated our stories of human existence, and given great joy and hope to those in need.  It has empowered the powerless, fed the hungry, and inspired the faithful.  Its language is universal – without boundaries of class, creed, or generation. It is a powerful force in the human experience.  It affects our intellect, our emotions, and our soul.  It can build, inspire, and thrill. 

Art can amaze…

Art brings joy.  It is can delight us with its beauty, its humor, its commentary, and its suggestions. It can be soothing, invigorating, prickly or calm.  It can tickle our thoughts and make us laugh, or simply spread compassion seamlessly through our soul.  It can take us to that faraway moment of peace and understanding, while pushing us out of the plane with a parachute for an incredible ride down. It is an escape.  It is a journey.  It is a process.  And for those that are healing, art is a companion along the road to recovery. 

Art can Dream…

Art represents all that is possible and impossible in our world.  It is place where one can find answers to life’s questions, or questions to ask of life.  Where beauty can overcome sadness and curiosity can define chaos.  Life is beautiful in the wake of challenges.  Art is a vehicle for making, changing, interpreting…it is the transfer of power of the viewer to see, find, and to see possibilities within.  It is hope. It is infinite.  It is immortal. 

The Map…

An art that engages an audience and becomes a vehicle for learning or experiencing can be a powerful element in a city.  The idea of art as maps or maps as art can refine our associations of simply a geographic location or boundary, and transform our understanding of a place through its history, its stories, and its culture that define its essence.

The Bourbon Barrel Project is an opportunity for the city of Lexingtonto create the lines on the Town Branch Map that it wants to express, amaze, thrill, and dream.  Like the ideas of the ancients, Lexingtonhas the power to continue shaping possibilities and opportunities through these "new lines” of art.  The barrels placed along the lines of the town branch stream will be a spectacular moment where art, people, ideas, and maps fuse our history, our present into a single vision for Lexington.  And maybe, just maybe…we can make some exciting discoveries happen along the way.

 

Artist Biography

Melody is a designer and visual artist that bridges the gap between concept and creation.  She is known for her original artwork created for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Opening Ceremonies.

As the Art Director for the Opening Ceremonies, she developed a new way of seeing and experiencing horses…”Horses in Plan”.  In a clever twist of our traditional views of the horse…she paints and draws the "Horses in Plan” which uses the plan view, or from the top down rather than the more recognizable profile or side view.  What she reveals is a unique perspective that truly showcases the beauty and grace of a horse’s movement and form…a dance, a song, an instrument of precision and skill.

"I came to the idea from drawing and imagining the world of "floor plans” from an architectural perspective.  She quickly became fascinated by the beautiful form of the horses shape and form as viewed from above – including the similarity to the stringed instruments of violins, violas, and cellos. "The discovery completely transformed my thinking”, she noted, "Now, I am always thinking of how images can create multiple references and give enhanced experiential suggestions to an audience.” 

As a designer, Melody has worked on creative concepts for companies such as Nike, Siemens, Toyota, and NASA.  She has served as faculty for both the University of Kentucky’s Collegeof Design and Eastern Kentucky University’s Art & Design Department.  She received her Masters of Architecture from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

As an artist, she has had work displayed in galleries in New York and Kentucky.  She has participated in the Governor’s Derby Exhibition in Frankfort, KYand is currently showing work in the ClarkRegional MedicalCenter, Winchester, KY.

Melody currently works for her own art and design company, Architectural Ink.  She resides in Winchester, KYwith her husband Ron, and two children, Maria & Wyatt.

Website:  www.architecturalink.com

 

 

 

 

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