Material_Anthropology_(Revealed)

Ellsworth Kelly (b. Newburgh, New York, May 31, 1923) is an American painter and sculptor associated with Hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and the Minimalist school. His works demonstrate unassuming techniques that emphasize the simplicity of form. Kelly often employs bright colors to enhance his works. Ellsworth Kelly is represented by Matthew Marks Gallery, New York. He lives and works in Spencertown, New York. Although Kelly can now be considered an essential innovator and contributor to the American art movement, he was not always seen in such a positive light. Much of the reason his work did not catch on quickly was because it was so different from other pieces of the times. It was hard for many to find the connection between Kelly’s art and the style of where art was going. Kelly first solo exhibition was held at the Galerie Arnaud, Paris, 1951. In May of 1956 Kelly had his first New York exhibition at Betty Parsons’ Gallery. The art he showed in this exhibit was considered by many in the art world to have more of a European flair. He showed at Betty Parsons’ Gallery in the fall of 1957. He had three pieces, Atlantic, Bar, and Painting in Three Panels selected and shown for the Whitney Museum of American Art’s show “Young America 1957.” His pieces were considered radically different from the other twenty-nine artists’ work. Painting in Three Panels, for example, was particularly noted and questioned for the idea of having more than one canvas used to create one piece was unheard of at this time. Critic Michael Plante commented on this use of multiple-panels by noting that more often than not Kelly’s multiple-panel pieces were cramped in accordance to the installations restrictions, which resulted in a downplay of the interaction between the pieces and the architecture of the room.