Salute by Melissa R. Strom

“Untitled”

Found broken transistor radio

2.375 x 0.875 x 3.25 inches

Found in 2022 by Melissa R. Strom

This piece of art is a found object. It is a small, green-gray, rectangular transistor radio. Covering about half of the front of the radio is a silver speaker that has a circular indentation pressed into it. There appears to be a few small areas where the metal speaker is stained or scratched. 

On the front of the speaker, the text “Westinghouse” is written in tall and narrow, metal, blocky letters. To the right of the text is a small metal crown emblem, underlined, and centered in the middle of a thin circle. All of the metal is silver in color. The same circled and underlined crown emblem is situated in the bottom, left corner of the speaker as well. In this area, the flat, metal speaker appears to be starting to peel away from the rest of the radio’s plastic body.

Along the bottom left side of the radio is a crack in the green-gray plastic. At the top of the left side is what appears to be a small hole, where an attachment may be plugged into the radio. Along the top left and the top right sides, there are two areas where a dial can be spun. The top dial does not appear to change anything. The right dial causes a thin white number to appear in a small window next to the logo on the speaker. It can be turned to 53, 6, 7, 10, or 16, moving from the upper portion of the numbers to the lower.

On the rear surface of the radio appears to be a horizontal, rectangular vent. There are slats that go in two opposing directions that meet at the middle. Above the vent in small, raised letters reads the text, “6TRANSISTOR” upside down.

This object was not manipulated by the artist, who found the object as it was.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

"$953"

Created in 2023 by Melissa R. Strom

Acrylic, receipts, glue on found fabric on canvas

8 x 24 inches

This piece of artwork is made of a long, narrow, vertical canvas wrapped in plaid fabric that the artist found. It has a green, red, and tan plaid pattern on it. About three quarters of the way in from the left, there is a long seam that runs down from the top to the bottom of the canvas. It appears that the fabric was cut and shifted so that the plaid pattern no longer matches up with the fabric it meets at the seam.

On top of the fabric, pieces of torn-up receipts and checks have been glued, some of which still have the items and store names legible. Some wrap around the right edges of the canvas. On top of this, there is white acrylic paint that obscures some of the receipts, checks, and the pattern of the fabric. Letters have been stenciled out of the paint to read “58.8 cents per dollar” and “37% of men’s median income” running sideways down the left side of the canvas. Some of the plaid is clearly visible through the letters to the furthermost left.. The letters are easier to read in some places than in others, as they overlap diagonally under layers of paint.

Although difficult to read, after careful scrutiny, viewers will find statistics on the status of women’s income in the United States from the years 1950 and 1975. In 1950, women who worked full-time all year received 58.8 cents for every dollar earned by men. In 1975, women’s median income was $953, or 37% of men’s median income. Continuing to engage pattern shifts in her work, a bed of plaid is interrupted by layers of receipts for items such as food and other necessities, mailed bills, and checks that the artist collected over time from their own travels and encounters. She considers these items to be tokens from the so-called “real world.” 

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm and a closing reception on June 28 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer"

Created in 2022 by Melissa R. Strom

Magnetic videocassette tape, ink, and glue on canvas

8 x 8 inches

This piece of art is made of a square canvas wrapped in magnetic videocassette tape. The tape itself is black, shiny, and has a reflective quality to it. One long piece of tape, about half an inch wide, loosely wraps the entire canvas vertically/in a vertical manner, from the front all the way across and around the upper and lower sides, and back. The edges of the tape are visible, forming overlapping, layered stripes as they appear to have been hastily wrapped with the tape drooping from the bottom at various lengths. If the viewer examines closely, they may find an obscured reflection of themselves. Black ink has been painted along the left and right sides of the canvas where tape does not fully conceal the edges of the canvas.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

"The greatest human drama that the world has ever known!"

Created in 2022 by Melissa R. Strom

Magnetic videocassette tape and glue on canvas

8 x 8 inches

This piece of art is made of a square canvas wrapped in magnetic videocassette tape. The tape itself is black, shiny, and has a reflective quality to it. One long piece of tape, about half an inch wide, tightly wraps the entire canvas horizontally/in a horizontal manner, from the front all the way across and around the left and right sides, and back. The edges of the tape are visible, forming stripes as they just meet each other as opposed to overlapping. If the viewer examines closely, they may find an obscured reflection of themselves.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

“And I’m gonna be 40!”

Created in 2023 by Melissa R. Strom

Broken VHS tape, ink, acrylic on polystyrene

20 x 24 inches

On a clear piece of polystyrene, the words “Charlie Chaplin had babies when he was 73” are hand painted, spaced over the middle of the piece in a thick black ink. Layered over top of the text are the smashed bits and pieces of a black VHS tape. Most of the outer casing of the VHS tape sits in the bottom right corner of the piece. Although the center of it is smashed, we can see through two smashed pieces that the text originally read, “for best picture please adjust on your screen”,. The inner tape of the VHS spills and snakes up to the top left corner of the artwork. Bits of black and clear plastic from the smashed tape are sprinkled around the piece.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

"Job Switching"

Created in 2022 by Melissa R. Strom

Broken VHS tape, ink, soft gel on polyester 

20 x 24 inches 

On a clear piece of polystyrene, the words “I've never been so bored in my life” are hand painted, spaced over the majority of the entire piece in a thick black ink. Layered over top of the text are the smashed bits and pieces of a black VHS tape. Most of the outer casing of the VHS tape sits in the top right corner of the piece. Although the center of it is smashed, we can see the text reading, “I Love Lucy.” The inner tape of the VHS spills and curls down the artwork, wrapping around the clear, circular plastic film reel. Bits of black and clear plastic from the smashed tape are sprinkled around the piece.

During the taping of I Love Lucy, season 2, episode 1 titled “Job Switching” (1952), Lucy and
Ethel go to work in a candy factory as their husbands do the housework. During the candy
striping scene, Lucille Ball allegedly worked on set with Amanda Milligan, a worker at See’s
Candies in Los Angeles, painting the swirls atop chocolates. As the story goes, when Lucy
asked Milligan if she enjoyed her stint in show business, she responded, "To be honest, I've
never been so bored in my life." Supposedly, her favorite pastimes were watching Monday
evening wrestling on television and candy dipping. “Job Switching” is one of the most infamous
episodes of the show to this day.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

“What I hate is agnosticism, people who do not choose.”

Created in 2022 by Melissa R. Strom

Broken VHS tape, ink, soft gel, gravel, and leaf on polystyrene

20 x 22 inches

On a clear piece of polystyrene, the words “What I hate is agnosticism, people who do not choose.” are hand painted, spaced over the middle of the piece in a thick black ink. Layered over top of the text are the smashed bits and pieces of a black VHS tape. Most of the outer casing of the VHS tape sits to the center-left of the piece. The top cover of the VHS tape’s casing lies just above the main part of the tape’s casing. Printed on a sticker in the middle of the tape casing, we see the words “King of Kings” which was the title of the movie and “MGM Studios” indicating the movie’s original production company. The inner black spool of tape of the VHS droops down the middle of the piece and connects to a white spool that sits to the center-right of the piece. Broken and ripped bits of black plastic and tape from the smashed VHS are also sprinkled around the piece.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

"Salute"

Created in 2022 by Melissa R. Strom

Broken VHS tape, ink, soft gel on polystyrene

20 x 25 inches

On a clear piece of polystyrene, the words “As long as you have your health” have been scrawled in a seemingly angry manner using a black ink. The ink has dripped straight down in some areas. The letters are large enough that the words take up the majority of the space. Layered over top of the text are the smashed bits and pieces of a black VHS tape. Most of the outer casing of the VHS tape sits in the lower right corner of the piece. Upon careful inspection, the words “Godfather Part II” are legible on a fading white label. The inner tape of the VHS swirls around the artwork, seeming to blend in with the letters in some areas, and a clear, circular plastic film reel is visible through the casing. Bits of black and clear plastic from the smashed tape are sprinkled around the piece.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

“Feedback"

Created in 2023 by Melissa R. Strom

Acrylic, receipts, tape on polyester

20 x 24 inches

This piece of art is made of a black rectangular piece of polystyrene covered almost entirely in black acrylic paint. The paint appears fairly matte but is rubbed away in some places, making the background look rough and aged. 

In addition, five lines of text are formed from negative space where black acrylic paint has not been used. The letters are in all capitals and appear stenciled and blocky. The letters are cut out of receipt paper. In the top left corner of the piece reads “TRENDING” and a thick red line underneath, separating it from the rest of the text on the work. 

On the reverse side of the piece, found receipts have been taped to the polystyrene so that they are visible from the front through the stenciled letters, much like a window.

Underneath in slightly larger text reads, “JOJI FANS SLAM COACHELLA 2022 A SINGER PERFORMS AMID HEALTH CONDITION.” 

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018. 

Welcome to the Real World presents a collection of pop cultural, historic, and anecdotal
references from the lens of the artist's everyday life. Each piece tells a unique story through
which personal connection and universal struggle converge. Often depicting a moment in time
when the artist recalls being told, “Welcome to the real world,” a sense of relatability comes forth
that the artist hopes to share with the viewer.

This show is a solo exhibition featuring the works of Melissa R. Strom.

Welcome to the Real World will be on display at The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios from May 15-July 7, 2023. There will be an artist reception on May 25 from 6:30-8pm. The Gallery at Steel Pixel Studios is located at 701 N New St. FL1, Bethlehem, PA 18018.