The art of Melvin Way is commonly referred to as hermetic. The surface of his saturated drawings, which are usually small-scale, are covered by cryptic imagery of algebraic equations, chemical formulas, and diagrams. Way has always excelled in evading consistent descriptions about his production, keeping his followers at a distance. He once cautioned that no one should experiment with the formulas contained in his pieces because they are dangerous and powerful weapons. These indecipherable schematics are generated by randomness in the coded elements and undetermined sources. The compositions display multidimensional architectural renderings, crosscuts of machines, mathematical environments, and electromagnetic fields. One revelatory aspect of Way’s process is that he carries these drawings inside his pockets for months before giving them up. During that phase, he enhances them regularly: the pieces of paper are folded, unfolded, and extended. The drawings’ portable nature explains why the ink marks are diffused and faded: the pieces of paper are softened and wrinkled by constant friction, the colors are modified from his sweat, and their smell is permeated by his body odor. Like a second skin, these works function as protective devices.

Valérie Rousseau, exhibition label for Six Decades Collecting Self-Taught Art: Revealing a Diverse and Rich Artistic Narrative. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2019.