Owned by Megan Hyde, Curatorial Assistant, Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery
I got Melinda’s piece two years ago when she graduated.… She worked at the Tang, and we worked together taking care of (artist) Paula Hayes’s terrariums. And that was kind of an intimate experience for us, caring for these living things, and Melinda wrote these hilarious, wonderful journal entries every time. …The piece lives in my office now, and everyday I turn around from my desk and find some new thing peeking out. I’m always finding new things. And definitely, when I see this piece, I see Melinda.
Some of my most powerful experiences with art are when I feel like I have entered the mind of the artist—when I catch a glimpse of the world through their eyes. I think a lot of people are searching to have these moments with each other, but, at least for me, there's a lot more fumbling and misunderstanding. Experiencing an artwork can feel like sharing a unique connection or understanding with the object and its maker, a connection that persists and grows. The artwork can have mystery, complexity, and layers of meaning, just like a person, that can slowly unfold, and be delightful to explore.
Megan Hyde, 2012