Kathleen Melian is a Los Angeles based artist who is interested in neglected spaces and fringe societies that teeter on the edge of sustainability. They are dystopian wonderlands, beautiful and hostile at the same time. They set the stage for escape, adventure, revelry, and spiritual encounters. For others they offer refuge and opportunity to live with minimal societal constraint. She is also interested in the foreseeable effect of these spaces being popularized by the “hip” and terms this the “gentrification of wild space”. Melian grew up in the Arizona desert where much free time was spent exploring the desert at her doorstep. She developed a deep, lifelong fascination with this harshly enchanting place and shares her experiences through her artwork.