Jess Merlo
Melbourne-based multi-disciplinary artist Jess Merlo’s practice extends across painting, sculpture, furniture and lighting, informed by natural formations and environments.
Words: Holly Terry I Photography: Phoebe Kelly
Jess Merlo in her Brunswick studio. Photo: Phoebe Kelly
Study: Lerderderg River by Jess Merlo Photo: Phoebe Kelly
‘Across the disciplines I work in, I always find inspiration from natural environments. When it comes to shapes, I translate them to a form suitable for a sculpture or piece of furniture. Otherwise, when it comes to paintings, I focus more on light, shadows and natural mark making,’ Jess Merlo. Photo: Phoebe Kelly
‘I always thought wood was an interesting, sustainable material. I like the versatility where a piece can be worked until it’s as smooth as marble or textured and extremely tactile.’ Photo: Phoebe Kelly
‘The combination of studying and taking time away from institutions in order to experiment and explore new things has definitely shaped me as a maker.’ Photo: Phoebe Kelly
A maker of things and creative all-rounder, Melbourne-based artist Jess Merlo works across painting, sculpture, furniture and lighting. With a pull towards experimentation, tactility and working with her hands, creating across multiple modalities was a natural move for Jess.
‘I get bored of things very quickly, but I am equally just as curious, so I gravitate towards trying new things. It’s a blessing and a curse sometimes, but it's great to be able to channel it into a creative practice to allow me to explore new materials and techniques,’ she shares.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art at Monash and Honours at Victorian College of the Arts, Jess found that sculpting and carving came to her instinctively, which later led to her undertaking a certificate in Furniture Design and Technologies. Three courses of study later, it’s safe to say the maker has formed a pretty sound understanding of working across the board within the creative industries.
‘Having an artistic and sculptural background prior to studying a furniture course definitely set me apart as I wanted to go down a more sculptural based direction, rather than pursuing traditional furniture making. I’m intrigued by the idea of adopting the functionality of furniture, but through an abstract, organic and sculptural lens.’
Working from her studio in Brunswick and a garage-turned-workshop in Rye, Victoria on her days off (from her 9-5), it’s the natural environment which inspires her the most. For Jess, spending time in nature, exploring new places and learning make her tick.
Reflecting on her time spent outdoors through imagery, memories and the emotions that come with them, she is drawn to certain elements of the landscape such as rock formations, erosion, the horizon or intricate details and marks. ‘[I am inspired by] anything that has left an interesting impression.’ says Jess.
Blackwood Lamp by Jess Merlo. Photo: Phoebe Kelly
‘I’m mostly proud of the fact that I’m slowly coming more into myself as an artist/maker, with my paintings, sculptures and furniture. As a perfectionist, I’m learning to be more forgiving with myself when I make mistakes and taking the time to work on things, rather than giving up and scrapping the idea.’ Photo: Phoebe Kelly
“The combination of studying and taking time away from institutions in order to experiment and explore new things has definitely shaped me as a maker.”
‘I found that carving and sculpting came naturally to me, and I wanted to pursue further in that direction by developing more skills in order to work with a wider range of materials.’ Photo: Phoebe Kelly
The artist works from her studio in Brunswick and a garage-turned-workshop in Rye, Victoria on her days off. Photo: Phoebe Kelly
If I Could Know by Jess Merlo. Photo: Phoebe Kelly
Jess Merlo's furniture designs are equally organic and robust. Photo: Phoebe Kelly
Across all of her disciplines, Jess focuses on organic shape and line as a basis of her design, then builds on that across her practice. Her abstract paintings, organically structured and soothing in palette speak to this notion, offering a looser interpretation of her inspirations, while her furniture sits boldly, perhaps wonky and natural in shape, yet holding a certain type of strength in their robust form.
‘Abstraction is such a key component, so I like to loosely draw or paint without too much intention, so I can naturally produce soft impressionable strokes. I gather these little moments and either layer them on a canvas or expand them to create a sculpture/furniture piece,’ she says.
This year, Jess plans to spend time focusing on furniture making and woodworking whilst also hitting the road and exploring Australia, where she aims to develop a body of oil paintings. ‘I’m keen to experiment with drawing, painting, maybe even printmaking to see how vast environments reflect in my work. I think it’s time for me to travel and explore more extreme places and push my art even further.’