Melissa Ramos

Born 1982, Manila, Philippines
Bachelor of Fine Arts and Electronic Arts
Graduation show: 2002
Graduation ceremony: 2003

Artwork in Space YZ

Neon Woman, 2001
Single channel video
0:30 mins

Neon Woman (​2001) was a student work created for the Art Gallery of New South Wales exhibition Space Odyssey, 2001. During that time, I was experimenting with virtual identities and how it affects the human body. This cyborg woman evoked a route to infinite space and immobility. Inspired by Bruce Nauman’s work, Clown Torture (1987), I was drawn to notions of routine, boredom and exploitation. This was my first digital work, and I never looked back. Shortly after this I gravitated to the new course that emerged at UWS, Electronic Arts. Our year was the pilot, and with the coming of the new digital platforms we were asked to break it apart.

Reflecting on this work, I see its impact on me and how it led me to work on ideas of identity and body movement narratives, a pivotal moment which contributed to my current dance film making practice.

Melissa Ramos works with time-based media, exploring the intrinsic essence of time and movement. Her artistic practice derives from examining the conflicts between nature and culture, in particular the issues of nature imparted by colonialism and modernity. Melissa's ultimate inspiration is to challenge new modes of video art and become an ambassador for the category in Australia, focusing on inspiring others to explore the boundless manifestations of the moving image. From here she founded Dance Cinema Organisation.

Since graduating from the University of Western Sydney in Fine Arts & Electronic Arts, Melissa has exhibited extensively including a recent solo show at Green Papaya Art Projects in her country of birth, Manila, Philippines. She has presented work at the 2012 ISEA International, USA; the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art Kanazawa, Japan; House of Dance, Denmark; Vargas Museum, Philippines; CESTA, Czech Republic; Berlin Asian Film Festival, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt Kunstquartier Bethanien, Germany.

Learn more about Melissa Ramos by visiting her website and Dance Cinema website.

Black & White (2002) ​delves into the time I was experimenting with sound art. Undertaking Electronic Arts taught me the poetics of listening and the philosophy of noise art. The artist-run space, Imperial Slacks was my first encounter with a live sound performance. I experienced many performers such as my Electronic Arts lecturer Julian Knowles. Black & White ​was composed of contrasting sounds from an electronic moog, synthesisers and plucked violin.

At the time, I was really into David Lynch and his composer ​Angelo Badalamenti. The most influential Lynch film for me was ​Lost Highway (1997) and it reflected much of what was happening at that time and beyond. With 9/11 in 2001, for instance, the world was becoming a psychological thriller. It affected me personally, I wasn’t able to just take my camera out and film the world. People thought I was plotting a terrorist attack. Fear lingered in the air and it changed our psychology about filming in public spaces - until the advancement of mobile phones and social media.