Endangered Species - arts ♀︎

My current work emerges from 28 years as a photographer in the Fashion Industry, making images of women and girls specifically for women and girls. The work spans the arrival of the internet, the decimation of the magazine industry, and the increased agency we now have over our recorded histories. A level of control which, I believe leads to a running juggle of potential and real conflict between our public and private identities.

Research
My work investigates the transformation of portraiture, from a historically precious medium, to the mundane multiplicity of the selfie phenomenon, with no physicality, or actual value, but which now has a position in the history of each person and their story. Selfies map a progression, time travel, growing up, pain, joy, beauty and ageing. They are a continual documentation of what each person wants to release publicly, portraying their constructed  identity package. This leads me to wonder about the impact of photography on our collective identities and whether it corrupts or enhances our memory.

Current and on-going Projects
Endangered Species (germination stage) portraits and interviews of under represented female artists living and/or working in Nevada.

Vanish
#selfiegirl
Sum of the Parts
Rogue Nevãda
Doubletime
Sheep

Bio

Frances Melhop is a multi disciplinary, visual artist, born in Christchurch, New Zealand, now living in the USA. She has worked globally in the fashion industry as a photographer, constructing imagery; conceptualizing, shooting, and directing fairytale, folkloric stories for publications such as Vogue Italy editions, Vogue Australia, Elle Portugal, and Marie Claire Italy. 

 

In 2009, Melhop was Awarded by Luerzer's Archive, title World’s 200 Best Advertising Photographers for the images for the campaign of Descamps, France, in 2014 she was awarded the NNDA Comstock Innovator of the Year Award for her arts and community work at St Mary’s Art Center, in Virginia City, Nevada. 

 

Melhop’s work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions worldwide. 

She works in photography, printmaking, and oil paint. Her artwork explores portraiture, and ideas of temporality, impermanence, identity, and memory. 

 

Currently Melhop is teaching Visual Foundations, and is an MFA candidate on the Master of Fine Arts program, at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA.

www.frances-melhop.art (current and recent work)
www.frances-melhop.com (fashion archive)
www.roguenevada.com (art + culture + environment site)