Girl On Dock

The visual world of Melanie Rocan stems from the traditions of Surrealism and Romanticism; a blended swirl of dream-like emotions and dream dwelling subjects populate her canvases. The sense of nostalgia evoked by Rocan's painted images—ferris wheels, gingham tablecloths, tire swings, floral wallpaper—speaks to memory and timelessness. Evoking fleeting recollections, Rocan’s work acts as a type of “souvenir involontaire,” a concept made prominent by Marcel Proust, which refers to ephemeral moments that arouse personal memories without deliberate, conscious effort. Rocan completed her Masters in Fine Arts in painting at Concordia University. In 2008, her work was included in a painting survey exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto in conjunction with a release of Magenta Foundation’s “Carte Blanche Volume 2.” Rocan's work has also been included in exhibitions at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery in Montreal, the Project Room, Glasgow, Scotland, and the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Plug In ICA.