What People Have Said About James Mellick's Art...

     "James Mellick is an artist whose work I have been familiar with since his residency and mine, in New Hampshire in the late 1970's.  Jim had an exhibition at Dartmouth College that revealed him as experimental, innovative and clearly endowed with staying power.     "One decade and a half later, that impression has been amply justified.  I now look back upon his work as having bridged, in a unique way, the gap between painting and sculpture and having dealt, courageously and not without taking risks, with controversial subject matter.

                    --Jan van der Marck, Chief Curator, 20th Century Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, (authored books on Christo, Armann, Segal and Fontana.  Previous administration includes the Walker Art Center, Chicago Contemporary Art Museum, Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College).

     "Fantastic Dogs!"

                    --William Wegman, artist, photographer, painter.

     "James Mellick's Arsenal is a surprising and unusual group of objects which shows a rich vocabulary of form...The high quality of craftsmanship is evidence of the artist's conviction to his concept."

                    --Dan Dailey, glass artist, educator and juror.

     "Mellick's wood sculpture is widely known and appreciated for its meticulous craftsmanship as well for its sense of observation and humor. Made of carved, laminated and constructed wood, his sculptures of animals are remarkable for their vitality as well as for the feeling that their meanings go far beyond the limits of their images... Reduced to a strongly abstracted rendering of their skeletal structure, his animals, generally life-size, become larger than life in their reduced anatomy.  They transcend their contexts to become universal, even primeval, symbols.

                    --Jacqueline Hall, Art Critic, The Columbus Dispatch.

     "The brilliance that made marble take on an almost liquid-like fluidity in the hands of the Italian Baroque sculptor Bernini lives and breathes again in the exquisitely crafted wood sculptures and installations of James Mellick."

                    Sara Albert, Art Critic, Grand Rapids Press.

     "...Often provocative, always beautiful and amazingly consistent over the many years that I have known him, Jim's work is an embodiment of content and style as well as fine craftsmanship.  As he has probed his subject deeply, he has become even better in recent work...I've known him as a man of profound convictions about art, life, history and philosophy.  As a teacher, he is one of the best."

                    --Robert R. Malone, Professor of Art, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.

     "[James Mellick's] exhibit of sculpture at Elzay Gallery at Ohio Northern University elicited a strong response from a wide range of people in the university and surrounding community...[His] obvious love of the material and craft, combined with his love of 'idea' makes his work accessible to viewers of varied backgrounds.  The layers of meaning in the works, which mix classical myths and literature as well as contemporary political and social issues kept [many] entranced...Our art majors spent a great deal of voluntary time in the gallery just 'living' with the works...Area high school students spent several class sessions in the gallery and several groups came from area colleges.  [A visiting] professor felt the show ranked as one of the top exhibits at Elzay Gallery."

                    --Judith Greavu, Professor of Art, Gallery Director, Ohio Northern University.

     "Owning 'Savior' by James Mellick has been a real delight.  It is such a unique sculpture that it receives more comment and questions than other artwork in our home.  Even though, principally, is made of wood, we feel it is very feminine and graceful, even delicate to some extent.  The touches of color in paint and copper add great interest, as does the playful bird.  It is a striking piece and invites serious thoughts that Mellick, obviously, intended."

                    --Ginny and John Elam, Art Collectors

     "As you know, Regan and I love all of the pieces we have purchased from you over the years.  I am neither an art critic or an authority on art.  What I do know is that Regan and I take great pleasure in having your work in our home, as well as my office.  Aside from the beauty of your work, I enjoy your pieces mostly because they are unique.  The craftsmanship, as well as the subject matter, is unlike any other works we have seen. When someone comes to our home for the first time, they never fail to notice your works. Everyone is fascinated with what you do."

                    --Edward L. Clark, Art Collector

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