Bio
Ashlee Mellencamp (American, b. 1999) explores the intersection of science and spirituality, questioning how it relates to our innate human urge to question ourselves: What is our purpose? Where did we originate? What might our collective futures hold? Science and spirituality are often seen as oppositional; Mellencamp, however, believes that they are not mutually exclusive and often affect each other in significant ways. Her interest in these ideas is inspired by Carl Sagan's thought that “science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”
In Mellencamp’s most current project, 404, she explores these ideas in a more intimate way. The piece employs the digital recreation of a domestic space she currently inhabits to explore how emerging technologies allow us to memorialize moments in time and revisit them whenever we please. This leads us to question the implications of technologies that allow us to exceed the limitations of the physical world. Mellencamp completed a BFA in Graphic Design from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in May of 2021. Her most recent work was on view in the BFA Senior Thesis Exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art at UTC from April 6-16, 2021.
Education
BFA Graphic Design (2021)
The University of Tennessee
Chattanooga, TN
Associates of Science (2017)
Chattanooga State
Chattanooga, TN
Experience
Freelance Graphic Designer (2019-current)
Chattanooga, TN
Administrative Assistant (2017-2021)
Millwood Specialty Flooring
Chattanooga, TN
Exhibition History
Emergence (2021)
The Tennessee Valley Museum of Art
Tuscumbia, AL
curated by artists Stacey Holloway, Darius Hill, & Wayne Sides
Full Bleed (2021)
The Fine Arts Center at UTC
Chattanooga, TN
BFA Thesis Show (2021)
The Institute of Contemporary Art
Chattanooga, TN
The Year of the Metal Rat (2020)
The Contemporary Cress Gallery
Chattanooga, TN
curated by artist Jiha Moon
Command Z (2019)
The Apothecary Gallery
Chattanooga, TN