Melanie Rose
Subject tutor - BA (Hons) Art & Contemporary Craft
Short course tutor
Melanie Rose is a painter exploring place.
Rose is a British Academy research scholar having been a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Leeds (LAHRI) 2022-2024 after successfully completing a practice-led PhD. Prior education includes an MA from Central Saint Martins, she is a member of Land2, PaC and Studio Without Walls and has work in both private and public collections.
Research interests
- National Parks
- Paintings held in public collections
- Commoning
- Deep mapping
Artist Statement
I am a painter currently investigating the New Forest National Park landscape as part of my postdoctoral research having studied the South Downs National Park for my PhD (my thesis can be found in the West Dean library under Melanie Rose Tugwell or online. Themes include folklore, geo-mythology, and ecology as well as cultural trends, access, and artistic movements.
All of my work is about the landscape and the figure, whether it is to do with the ghosts of those who have walked in the landscape or who are buried beneath, each painting is as much about looking forwards as it is backwards through time and space including uncanny connections and circular associations.
Working with and making materials sympathetic to the landscape, including chalk-gesso, egg tempera and oak gall ink are an important aspect of my work. Being mindful of what I use is inspirational whether it is a chalk ground for painting or drawing ancient oaks in oak-gall ink, signifies a sense of place.
Melanie also teaches short courses at West Dean.
