Jim Kempner Fine Art is pleased to announce an exhibition of recent works by Jay Kelly from November 23rd through December 23rd. Executed in pastel and graphite on vellum, the intimate nature of these small-scale minimalist works on paper draws the viewer into a world of pure, simplified geometric shapes and subtle tones. Concurrently, there will be an exhibition of prints by Ed Ruscha. The gallery is located at 501 West 23 Street (corner 10th Avenue and 23rd Street). Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10-6.
Jay Kelly continues to distill the essence of balance and harmony of modernist architecture and design from the 1950s and early '60s in these new drawings, as he deftly plays variations on opaque and translucent rectangles of color. The artist, who grew up in New Jersey, is influenced by the architecture that surrounds him; his interest in industrial landscapes is very apparent:
“Even as a child,” Kelly says, “I loved the industrial landscapes around Newark. The rusty barrels and old trucks weren’t just barrels and trucks; they were graphic elements and colors that fascinated me.”
Kelly’s artistic style began in the form of photorealistic watercolors. He would painstakingly capture every detail of the urban landscapes he had become so taken with which would sometimes take months to finish. Four years ago he began experimenting with his current style, producing photorealistic watercolors by day and geometric drawings on translucent vellum at night. For the time being, he has abandoned his realist style and works almost exclusively in the realm of geometric abstraction.
When asked Kelly will dispute that there is any contradiction in his two approaches. His subjects are still the ethereal landscapes of his youth. His geometric forms are simply the old trucks and barrels reduced to their basic forms. According to Kelly,
“I’m working in a different way now but I don’t think I’ve moved very far at all.”
Jay Kelly’s work is represented in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and The British Museum. For further information and visuals, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 212-206-6872.