At the Gate

I filmed “At the Gate” at MFA Boston’s Japanese Zen Garden, using a stop-motion technique in which the movements of real people are made to appear like animation.

In this video, as in all of my work, I personify a seeker whose exertions reveal a deep desire to connect interior and exterior worlds.

About the Artist

Melissa Shaak works at the intersection of experimental video and performance art, as well as in acrylics and mixed media on paper. She discovered artmaking in mid-life and counts it among her greatest blessings. She is a core member of Fountain Street Gallery in Boston’s SoWa Art + Design District and lives in Somerville, MA. www.melissashaak.net