Melkonian's early works with their subtle glow and wistful lyricism defined the scope of his interest and his admiration for things simple and unpretentious. He hears graceful and tender melody of scenes where a mother nurses her child, girls rest in stacks of hay carrying jugs of water, a youth plays a pipe, or boys admire a white stag by a stream. His "Family", painted somewhat later in 1967, amplified the most characteristic features of his art and epitomized his spiritual quest. This painting, central to Melkonian's art, is both a genre painting and a group portrait. The concentration of spirited faces, the harmony of silver-blue hues create a soft introspective ambiance. The trees and the flowers in the painting are viewed as symbols of tenderness that unite the family. The "Family" came as a proof of Melkonian's artistic maturity. Its most characteristic features are the precise simplicity of drawing, the richness of substance and bold statement of values adopted by the new school of
Armenian painting that emerged in the 1960s. "Boy with a book" painted in 1970, a small
portrait, followed the tone set by the artist in his "Family". The artist once more arrests the viewer's attention with the ambiance of the painting, taking him to the world of youth, communicating its spirit and inviting to listen to the melody of the human soul. Along with individual features of his models, Melkonian's paintings reflect grasp and relate all that is essentially human and universal. These portraits are simple in composition, melodic in lines and delicate in hues. The artist easily communicates with his models and, most importantly, creates an emotionally charged and captivating mood that gets hold of the viewer. In 2008 the album of Ashot Melkonian's art collection was published in
Aleppo.
Portraits "Armen" portrait made in 1972 presents an honest, straightforward and wistful youth. The lyrical character of the model is sharply yet tenderly revealed. The charm of the youth is in his palpably dignified pose, arresting confidence and open gaze. Melkonian's portraits start with an impression inspired by the model. Then comes the second stage, where the model does not have to be physically present. As the artist draws the features of the face, he explores and refines the idea of the portrait and finds the hues that would best reflect his idea and render its substance and meaning. The image gains the unique features of the model and at the same time serves to implicitly affirm the author's aesthetic, moral and civil stance. Only such portraits are valuable and important for the artist.
Landscapes Melkonian uses the same approach when working on his thematic paintings and
landscapes. A finished work is preceded by numerous
sketches, used to bring the perfection that is in the artist's eye. The vibrant layer of hues and meticulous attention to detail charged the paintings with depth, emotion and wistful substance.
Murals Parallel to his painting, Melkonian also created beautiful
murals in
Yerevan,
Echmiadzin and
Gyumri. The motive and rationale are the same, a man and his inner world. In 1969, on the occasion of
Komitas' 100th anniversary, the
dome of Echmiadzin seminary (then Museum) was painted with
murals, a series of scenes depicting the themes of Komitas' songs. The idea belonged to Ashot Melkonian. His co-workers were
Hakob Hakobian, Henrik Siravian and Rafayel Sargsyan. Melkonian's art is pure, lucid and lyrical. The large mural still captures with its simplicity, purity, loftiness and harmony of hues and lines. ==Exhibitions==