In
Artist Profile

Melaney Ann Mitchell

Rocket Grant (2016)

Exhibitions/Performances (2016)

Mixed Media, Painting, Video, Writer
Statement of Work

Our digital spaces often embody a view of our psyche that is raw and unfiltered. The devices we own are a physical representation of our thoughts, actions, and communications. Our work, entertainment, relationships, and experiences occur more often in a simulated sense of space, on our phones and computers. command + shift + 3 is a series of gouache drawings on paper that reference the keys held to perform a screenshot on Apple OSX. These snapshots show an honest and unfiltered viewpoint into our lived digital experiences. The flawed organizational methods of workflow - or lack thereof - playlists, email chains, all of the tabs, late-night notifications, and desktop clutter.

These places we exist in the virtual, often reflect our lived experiences in our homes. We arrange and attempt to create a space that aligns with a desirable version of ourselves. However, the desktop is one of the most clarifying spaces for highlighting the fragmented nature of our identity. Each open application, to a different conversation or google search, reflects a different train of thought and ultimately a different part of ourselves. The aesthetics of our computers allow us to hide the messiness of unsorted folders full of reaction images and files that we’re “going to sort later”. The clutter of late capitalism is inescapable in our digital lives. Yet, there are plenty of blogs encouraging digital minimalism, and our desire for that “Inbox Zero.”

The opposition that exists in digital spaces reflects back on us these unflinching realities of modernity. There are too many projects, too many side hustles, layer upon layer of meanings we assign to ourselves. Just like a playlist made for a lover, we attempt to showcase our desire through the works of others. Our desire is for a sense of self. We work through reaction images and memes as stand-ins for our own non-verbal cues, while using social platforms programmed by others to communicate an identity.

My work leads a conversation on the lived experience of our new digital reality.

Visit Website
Recent Posts