Second Street is pleased to present Mom Brain, a collection of new works by Melissa Cooke Benson in our Dové Gallery. The work was on view from April 6-May 11, 2018 with a First Friday opening reception on April 6, 5:30-7:30 PM.

Specializing in graphite on paper, Melissa Cooke Benson's work investigates the relationship between photography, performance and drawing in portraiture. Melissa's drawings are made by dusting thin layers of graphite onto paper with a dry brush.  The softness of the graphite provides a smooth surface that can be augmented by erasing in details and textures.  No pencils are used in the work, allowing the surface to glow without the shine of heavy pencil marks.  Illusion dissolves into brushwork and the honesty of the material.

Melissa’s drawings have been exhibited at venues nationwide, including the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, The Museum of Wisconsin Art, The National Arts Club, and numerous other museums, galleries and colleges. Melissa’s drawings are in collections such as the Arkansas Art Center, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the Howard Tullman Collection, and the Minnesota Vikings U.S. Bank Stadium Art Collection and have been featured in New American Painting, Fine Art Connoisseur, Hi-Fructose, Drawing Magazine, and The Huffington Post. Melissa Cooke Benson also lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

EXHIBITION SPONSORS

The FUNd at CACF
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts