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Victoria Melody explores various unpleasant aspects of life through her art practice adding her own sense of irony and black humour. Her work can be seen as both self-representational and a social commentary and questions the British stiff upper lip mentality of never outwardly displaying emotions. Melody has filmed herself and members of the public demonstrating the liberating experience of freely venting their angers and frustrations in their own individual ways. We are taken on a journey that encompasses the artists’ personal life and alter-egos where, in the face of adversity, from screaming at the top of a hill, running and sweating, laughing and crying she makes us consider our own ways of releasing anger and frustration. Victoria Melody embraces both performance and video art. The humour within her is a tool to make us consider our actions, roles and personalities. , The work encourages us to consider personal restrictions placed upon us, including fear, pride, desire and notions of conformity. She is fascinated with that which remains unsaid, unheard, unseen, and unfelt, making visible the invisible.

There is a curiosity that remains within the foreground of all her work. This is important because it also allows the viewer to feel at ease with what is unknown, at the same time attentive to what might be discovered. The interaction between the artist and the audience is one that is complicit and vital to the work. There is also an apparent trust and respect between artist and audience which allows the work to remain honest.

Stress ball

The stress ball represents to me an insulting offering of catharsis from over enthusiastic promotions companies. It is meant to be squeezed in times of high tension, every time you squeeze it, it bounces back to round perfection. The stress ball stresses me out. I don’t want to gently momentarily change the surface of something. If I am given something that is sold as a stress reliever, then it either does its job or I will relieve my stress by destroying the thing.
Working in my studio squeezing the free sample balls given to me by promotions companies I fantasize about the murderous machines I could invent that could dissemble the ball piece by piece. Smouldering in acid, stabbed repeatedly by a knife attached to a model train, sliced by a guillotine, fired at by the only gun to hand, shot into space attached to a firework, dropped onto a bed of nails.
Don’t make offerings that don’t come up to scratch, don’t hard sell whilst lacking conviction. This satirical performance is about actively combating disappointment, about inventing, and completing tasks. To be performed at Fresh Live art festival on the 28th April.