'self portrait as astronaut' . virginia air & space center '97 by melanie standage |
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Photographer and designer Melanie Standage was born in London, England. One of 3 children of psychiatrist KF Standage, her family emigrated to Newfoundland in 1973. Standage went to boarding school in Nova Scotia & subsequently attended Dalhousie University, Memorial University & the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design reading history, philosophy & art history. She returned to London in 1994 to launch a career in longtime interests of design & photography. Standage is married to American photographer Pat Graham with whom she has a
daughter, Honor Graham.
Standage received her first film camera as a present when she was 6 years old. She photographed herself, her family and friends, school, summer camps, pets & local events throughout her childhood. In 1981 she was given her first Polaroid camera for Christmas. This camera produced the earliest images from her current exhibition (with Pat Graham) of Polaroids 'Past Perfect'.
A fascination with design & fashion magazines as well as how-to retro glamour photography books inspired her series 'Smoker Girls/ On Location'. (1995-2004). She created fantasy portraits featuring her friends as the heroines of fashion, pinup & film noir. The series produced 2 solo exhibitions/events at Tactical, London in 1997 and 1998. She projected her photos as slideshows onto semi transparent surfaces in the windows of the gallery, larger than life & visible from the gallery inside as well as outside in the streets of Soho. She also created 2 pinup calendars from the series.
Since 1999 Standage has been working & exhibiting with partner Pat Graham. A mutual love of the Polaroid format has generated current exhibition 'Past Perfect'; a joint collection of thousands of polaroid photos edited into theme driven displays (plants, food, small dogs, spaces, colours, man & machines). The series gives sneaking glimpses into their lives, together & seperately, personal & professional. It has shown in London, England & is currently hanging in Washington DC. This summer's photo-installation 'The Wildebeest' again features their lives; a density of images following their vantage point from behind the camera.
In Feb 2004 they founded London art gallery '96 Gillespie' showcasing American art in London. Now beginning it's 3rd season, the gallery has exhibited a dynamic range of US & UK artists including: Gee Vaucher, Daniel Higgs, Cynthia Connolly, Rich Jacobs, Graham & Standage themselves and others.
Since 2001 Melanie has been working with Boston based designer/engineer Ritu Gorczyca, specialising in design for human computer interfaces. Currently core members of Holland's elite design lab, Standage & Gorczyca have been leading designs for global & european clients.
She & Pat Graham were artists-in-residence at the Grange Hall in Rhode Island, run by artist/musicians Jodi Buonanno & Geoff Farina, for the year 2001/2002. She ran the in-house design & art direction at Southern Records UK from 1996-1999, working with musicians from the US & UK on independent music labels such as Southern, Dischord, Touch & Go, K-records. She also worked alongside artist Gee Vaucher, helping design for jazz label Babel Records 1999-2001.
In association with Gee Vaucher & Mick Duffield, Melanie digitally re-edited Gee's video collection 'Semi-Detached' (2001) which released the videos that Gee had originally made & projected behind CRASS as they performed live. She also helped produce Gee's art books 'CRASS Art & other Pre-postmodern Monsters' (1998) and 'Animal Rites' (2004).
Current, recent & touring exhibitions (with Pat Graham)
'Retrospect'
Cultuurcentrum Luchtbal, Antwerp BE . Nov-Dec 2005
'Past Perfect'
Transformer Gallery, Washington DC . Oct-Nov 2005
96 Gillespie, London UK . August 2004
'The Wildebeest'
96 Gillespie, London UK . August 2005
'Hot Girls . Cool Guys'
Newspace Gallery, Portland OR July 2004
Mission Space, Baltimore MD . Sept 2003
Comet, Milwaukee WI . August 2002
Current & recent group exhibitions
'Everyone sees the sun',Galleri Loyal, Stockholm Dec 2005
'We don't know you', Camp Fig, Austin TX May 2005
Rich Jacob's 'Move (13)', Clementine Gallery, NYC Mar 2005
Rich Jacob's 'Move (12)', New Image Gallery, LA Jan 2005
Rich Jacob's 'Move (11)', 96 Gillespie, London Dec 2004
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