Today I thought I would share one of my favorite, tiny pieces in the OJAC permanent collection.
But don’t let its size fool you! It’s chock-full of surprises.
This sculpture is titled “Dr. Dog Dispenses Comfort and Wisdom to the Afflicted” and was created by Taos artist Melissa Zink in the late 1970s.
Melissa Zink was born in 1932 in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended the Emma Willard School, Swarthmore College, the University of Chicago, and the Kansas City Art Institute– which was a feat for women during the 1950s. While she was in art school- abstract expressionism was the most popular genre of the moment. Zink could not relate to that style whatsoever and was constantly put down by her art teachers for not “fitting the mold.”
All this discouragement during her education made Zink give up art- and instead, she went to work at her custom frame shop that her family owned back in Kansas City. By 1970, Zink wanted a change of profession and scenery. She and her husband moved to Colorado where she opened a needlework shop. It was there she found independence and a new sense of self, divorcing her husband who was quoted to have “never understood or encouraged her artistic yearnings.”
In 1975, at age 43, Melissa married Nelson Zink and they moved and settled near Taos, New Mexico. While in Taos Nelson asked Melissa what she wanted to do with her life. She pulled the covers over her head and whispered “I want to be an artist”. Her husband soon discovered clay beds by their house and began making pots. Melissa tried her hand at traditional pottery forms but found she was gifted in sculpture. It was here that her art career began.
Melissa began to create intricate clay scenes, narrative scenes that told stories through layers of details! These sculptures might reflect a recognizable figure or scene- but nothing entirely realistic, usually with a touch of fantasy- or with whimsical flair. She always said of her work: “I felt I was not gifted, and had never understood that I could develop skill- But that one doesn’t have to be born with it. I make what I love — museums, magically sealed containers, animals, pots, secrets, surprises, the history of people.” Later in her career, Melissa would create not only in clay, but also in paint, mixed media, and bronze.
Here at the OJAC, we have a few works by the artist, but this piece was created fairly early in her career. At first glance, it might appear to be just a simple box, but opening it reveals an entire little world! We find ourselves in a tiny, cluttered doctor's office. The doctor, “Dr. Dog”, seems to be wearing a sort of mask. At first glance, it reminded me of those old-timey crow masks that black plague doctors used to wear! As he is turned and looking at us, the audience- it almost feels like he is beckoning us to step inside his space.
It feels cluttered in here, cluttered but cozy. It feels like I could get lost in this imagined world- surrounded by all the tiny clay details. It really gives the vibes of a dollhouse library or the feeling of stepping inside a book. Actually, a lot of Zink's work was driven by her love for books. She once said, “Everything I find most beautiful and moving is in some way connected to books.” This scene really does feel like it has been inspired by literature. Personally, it makes me feel like I am reading “City of Embers” again. Does it remind you of something you have read before? If anything, this tiny sculpture certainly provides a familiar and comforting feeling- a bit dreamlike and whimsical- with an element of surprise and fun.
Kirsten Hahn
Family & Public Programs Coordinator