Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melinda Smith Altshuler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Melinda Smith thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I announced I would be an artist at age 7. I was bad as a little ballerina as all girls of the 50’s were taught and no one ever responded to my walking around singing but when I drew, I was seen. My parents didn’t know what that really meant as a future but were not limiting me in thought just accepting and supportive. I did not come from a sophisticated background.

In the next few years, my older cousin Leslie had met a European Artist (yes, I capitalize Artist) accross from a job of his and he gave semi-private art lessons at his home. Mr. Markitante trained in Russia and in the 20’s and ‘s wound-up in Paris with so many international ex-pats. WWII came and devoured so many leaving him on a train to a concentration camp, just in time for the American GIs to rescue them at the end of the war. He immigrated to the US and loved this country.

I have had regular 9-5 jobs in my 20

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In The Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard outlines a philosophy of the poetic image—an image that is both familiar and new—that exists not as an echo of the past
but as a reverberation of an untethered time on the very threshold of being.
“Liminal space from where the poetic emerges is located between two powerful forces; the intimate confined and often dark spaces of that which is outside our constructed domestic spaces…” Lise Patt. Phd, founder of the Institute of Cultural Inquiry

My interior history is what I have absorbed from family lore growing up in Los Angeles. In the home, my immigrant grandparents began anew with nothing new. Used objects imbued with the history of others that aided in the building of our new histories. This and my early fascination with objects from my father’s small scrap metal yard is where my romance with objects and time began.

My sculpture, When Humankind and Nature Collide is a suspended ominous storm cloud of black translucent paper, aviary wire and bullets that rain instead of H2O. By switching rain drops for bullets I am pointing to uninvited changes in climate, society and civility.

Drawn images become maps of my imagination, proof of study and many times these proofs make their way into or guide sculpture and installation projects.

Years ago, I fought my identity. I guess I didn’t want to be part of the conversation about women artists vs. male artists; ethnicity as Jewish vs. not ; married with kids vs. not. All of these things I was/am, were negatives in the art world- not exotic enough or consequential. In those early days of my work in the 80’s, I didn’t hide but I didn’t share that side of my life.

I still grew and learned with my children; compassion, observation, social action and adventure. It serves me well now.

The suspension of objects, (e.g., clouds and chairs) tell us that solutions are hanging in the wake of change but also are out of reach right now.

In Ascension, Suspension…Cultural Blindness 2020-2022, I saw my process and three mediums combine. Suspended sculptural work that wanted more, photographs documenting the tents of the unhoused (we know exploded in 2020) and four life sized photos of port-a-potties from some of the same tent colonies. In a site dictated installation I hung the small gem-like photos on one wall with the large potty photos on the opposite wall and it was all interrupted by a suspended sculpture of 3 suspended bound chairs. The elevated local of the chairs demonstrates the unattainable of existence of comfort.

My work is about the translucency of question: how we see the mystery of thought, what we choose to question and the imaginings of intention. It is my slightly socially acceptable obsession to continue questioning and sharing.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In life we always have to accept change, as say; pivot. I love that word because it’s a sports action also. Pivot really speaks to the idea of changing direction or loation. not not necessarily ideals. In the eastern philosophies we learn that change is life we can keep our ideals but things are always changing and we strive to not stay attached..

So in that way and coming from an immigrant background my life has always been steeped in the acceptance of change. My grandparents came here with nothing and built on that but always knew the possibility of change again.
In my art pratice I value change as growth and pivoting is only circumstancial.

in order to been seen or heard, as an artist I am willing to accept change also. Not in my themes or materials, they do change but not my concepts.

I am interested in light. Literaly light- how it affects space and defines. Light is also a metaphor for truth and transparency is an expressesion also illuiding to the truth that we can see. All of these words lead up to how I see the transgressions in our environment and society. Not all doom and gloom but something that keeps us learning about how we need to change in another way to survive as a society. As they say at 18th Street Arts where I am a resident; Society is our Gallery.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

To be seen, to have my views matter to someone. To initiate change whether in attitude or action. Many of my works demonstrate conditions in society and this was not planned as my studio practice. It is just what happens and you can’t turn it off.

As studio artists of course we want our work to be seen literally. Sometimes that means we will share our projects in different places or unlikely venues or that our subjects are different then over the couch traditional imagry.

Covid in Los Angeles brought more unhoused to the streets in Los Angeles in such a way that I feel we are drowning in another reality. So much so that I spent days photographing tents around the city. Los Angeles is not the only city affected but I feel, as I sit in a cafe in small town Georgia that the rest of the country has no idea how bad it is in my hometown,

With these photos that are presented as framed gem-like images, you dont really see what they are until you are close. Then it’s too late – you can’t unsee. I recently showed these images opposite 8′ tall photos of the port-a-potties that have appeared at many sites. those are raw photos printed in color on vinyl sign material. juxtoposing the small images with the raw life size realites you cannot hide from. As I type this the situation in Los Angeles is being worked on but the numbers of people is larger than this small lovely town in Georgia. more then twice. I am willing to show this work anywhere, I am so touched by this.

Contact Info:

• Other: instatgram #melindasmithaltshuler, FB Melinda Smith Altshuler www.melindasmithaltshuler.com

Image Credits
photos by Gene Ogami, photos with me Steve Hankins,