My work is about my process of exploring overlooked glimpses of visual reflections that coexist all around us.
My conceptual process and inspiration is always in flux; I reanimate fragments of my life through a broad palette of wood, oil, wax, paint and photographs, layering images to expose another realm of existence.
Each piece is a cumulative expression of the dimensions between our desire to see what we want to see and what is actually there. Photos are taken without the guise of perfected shutter speeds and paint is pulled across these surfaces, allowing the oil, water and wax to do what they may, giving us just enough information---but without clouding our sight.
Education
1992 Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1980 Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA
Awards & Honors
1995 Lucy Glick Memorial Award
1992 ARCO Chemical Purchase Prize
The Pennsylvania Governor’s Award
The Alexander Prize
1991 The Lewis S. Ware Memorial Travel Scholarship Award, Marcia Lampert Prize
Rosof, Libby, "Speed and Light ", artblog, Tuesday, May 17, 2005
2003 Strauss, Robert B., review, AroundPhilly.com
Kravetz, Deborah, review, Art Matters
Strauss, Robert B., review, The Weekly Press, Philadelphia, PA
Strauss, Robert B., review, Daily Local News, Philadelphia, PA
2002 Sozanski, Edward, review, Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA
Strauss, Robert B., review, Daily Local News, Philadelphia, PA
2001 New American Paintings, juried exhibition print catalog
1999 New American Paintings, juried exhibition print catalog
Sozanski, Edward, review of "Wax Works", Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA
Rice, Robin, review of "Wax Works", Philadelphia City Paper, Philadelphia, PA
Collection
Public
Thomas Properties Group Inc. Philadelphia, PA Deloitte Inc. Philadelphia, PA Fork Etc. Philadelphia, PA Blank & Rome, New York, NY Fork Restaurant, Philadelphia, PA
Professional Experience
Commissions
1996 James Ingram, Grammy Award-winning American singer, Los Angeles, CA
Exhibitions
Solo
2011 Synesthesia, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2009 The Collaborative Work of Anthony Demelas and Pete Checchia, Proximity Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2005 Pearl Art Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2003 Continu-u-m, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2000 Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1998 Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1993 Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Group
2010 Femme, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2009 Over the Edge, Fresh Paint Gallery, Culver City, CA
2007 3: New Works by Pete Checchia, DeMelas/Checchia, John Schenk, James Oliver Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2006 - 2007 Pearl Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY DeMelas/Checchia colloaborative works
2006 Immersion, The Ice Box Project Space, Crane Arts Building, Philadelphia, PA
Bridge Art Fair, exhibited by Pentimenti Gallery, Miami, FL
Pearl Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
Carbone-14 Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Takeout, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2005 The Urban Canvas, Gallery Siano, Philadelphia, PA
2004 Pearl Gallery, Stone Ridge, NY
The Affordable Art Fair, exhibited by Pentimenti Gallery, New York, NY
2003 San Francisco International Art Exposition, San Francisco, CA exhibited by Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
The Affordable Art Fair, exhibited by Pentimenti Gallery, New York, NY
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
Biennial for Encaustic Works’03, The Marist College Art Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY Curator: Tracey Bashkoff, Associate Curator, The Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY
At Present, Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2002 Art Chicago 2002, Chicago, IL, exhibited by Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
San Francisco International Art Exposition, San Francisco, CA exhibited by Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2001 Weber State University, Ogden, UT
2000 Organic, InLiquid at the Bride, Painted Bride Art Center; Philadelphia, PA Curator: Lisa Melandri and Rachel Zimmerman
USArtists, American Art Exposition and Sale, Philadelphia, PA
1999 USArtists, American Art Exposition and Sale, Philadelphia, PA
The Boston International Fine Art Show, Boston, MA
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE
Wax Works, The Levy Gallery, Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA
1998 The Boston International Fine Art Show, Boston, MA
101 Juried Exhibition, Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Historic Yellow Springs Art Center, PA
Pentimenti Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
1994 Vox Populi, Philadelphia, PA
Abington Art Center, Jenkintown, PA
Collaboration
Present See the collaborative work of Visual Arts Duo DeMelas/Checchia
2004 "Triumph of Summer”, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Philadelphia, PA Solo performance by Jesse Wilson, video environments provided by Ricardo Rivera & Anthony DeMelas
2003 “Gone: Leaving.. Breathing..Compromising..Freeing”, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Philadelphia, PA Choreographer Kate Watson Wallace, video environments by Ricardo Rivera & Anthony DeMelas
