Untitled, Lithograph on Rives BFK paper; 1972; Signed Kelly in pencil, lower right and numbered 79/125 in pencil, lower left; Framed using a black wood exterior frame and conservation clear UV protective glass.
I have heard the phrase "I could do that" so many times as people wonder through the Gallery. But the phrase is never heard as much as when people see works by Ellsworth Kelly. I used to rush out from behind my desk into the Gallery to try and explain the works to them, but as the years have passed, I have grown weary. With this entry, I will attempt to shed some light onto the works of Kelly and perhaps in the process make myself feel better for ignoring all of those veiled cries for help in past few years.
Ellsworth Kelly is one of the 20th century's greatest artists. All of the world's museums have his works which include paintings, drawing, sculpture, prints, etc. in their permanent collections; however the public, for the most part, has no real concept of how to even interact with his art.
After viewing works by Kelly most would agree that he would fall into Hard-Edge painting, Color Field, or Minimalism. After all, two rectangles varying only in color would be minimal. However, Kelly does not see himself as a minimalist at all; but rather a figure to ground painter and a color interaction painter. Before continuing down this path, I want to first point out that Kelly's works have a life model. His painting are not like those by Ad Reinhardt, Josef Albers, or Barnett Newman because his forms are drawn from nature or from his surroundings. Photographs taken by Kelly as early as 1949 show the casting of shadow and light over surfaces of Parisian architecture; and it was these photographs that served as references for his paintings at the time. You can see these types of things as you walk outside or drive under a bridge and look up. You can edit and isolated regular and irregular forms from shadows or just small sections of trees or buildings. If you were then to paint these forms a single color, you would have a Kelly painting.
I took the photograph above from inside the Chicago Institute of Art looking out into their courtyard. On the exterior building wall is a very large painted aluminum curve by Ellsworth Kelly. "White Curve, 2009" is an enormous 14 x 54 x 3 feet aluminum wall sculpture that has been painted high gloss white. Kelly views this work as a figure that is hanging on an entire ground (the wall). To Kelly, the interaction of the curve to the wall is the same as a painting of a tree to it's landscape.
Finally, I want to return to the first photograph on this blog, "Untitled, 1972." This is a color interaction work. The orange rectangle is the same size as the black below it; but Kelly has now made a connection of orange to black that is unique in this particular composition. The light value of orange and black are chosen specifically by Kelly as is the orientation, scale, size, and form. Any modification of the parameters of the composition alters the experience. For example, if you flip the work with black on top the interaction is now different. Black is now dominate and there is a immediate heaviness to the work that previously did not exist.
Because of the way in which the forms are printed, there is also a figure (orange and black forms) and ground (white paper) relationship created. The forms float and there is a mood that is created. The result of viewing this work is the realization that this is a specific and elegant composition, created with the intent of invoking a feeling. It does not have to be objects that are recognizable in order to have a subject, and that subject matter can be a simple emotion or a response. With art by Kelly; relax, slow down, take it easy, and just enjoy!
Framed Ellsworth Kelly Original Lithograph.
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