Ellsworth Kelly
Ellsworth Kelly (born 1923) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker who was a leading exponent of the hard-edge style, in which abstract contours are sharply and precisely defined.
He first rose to critical acclaim in the 1950s with his bright, multi-paneled and largely monochromatic canvases. Maintaining a persistent focus on the dynamic relationships between shape, form and color, Kelly was one of the first artists to create irregularly shaped canvases. His subsequent layered reliefs, flat sculptures, and line drawings further challenged viewers' conceptions of space.
Some of his exhibitions include retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. In 2015 the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, accepted a design by Kelly for a freestanding stone building with coloured glass windows and other interior features designed by the artist. The structure, called Austin, was constructed posthumously and opened to the public in 2018. Described as a “secular chapel” by Kelly’s partner of 30 years, Jack Shear, the building is the only work of its kind by Kelly.
Related Works
- Swiss artist Olivier Mosset has developed a similar aesthetic of hard-edge forms and bright hues. View his work.
- Contemporary printmaker Matt Magee tells ZB, "I like Ellsworth Kelly's work, most specifically I respond to the drama and sharpness of his edges and how he uses space." Magee's forms are just as elegant and defined, and his palette posseses Kelly-esque vibrational energy. View his work.
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Love of Prints
16 May - 20 Jun 2020Zane Bennett Contemporary Art takes a look at what makes a dynamic duo in The Love of Prints , our new online exhibition. As some couples in quarantine are getting...Read more -
Under the Influence
31 May - 13 Jul 2019“Prints are having a revival,” says curator Kylee Aragon. “And the conversation is shifting. It’s not just a piece of paper—it’s fine art.” This May, Zane Bennett presents Under the...Read more -
Master Prints of the '70s - '90s
27 Feb - 20 Mar 2015ZBCA will unveil for the first time our latest acquisitions, including works by Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Helen Frankenthaler, Jim Dine, Rufino Tamayo, Bernar Venet, and Robert Motherwell among others.Read more -
Contemporary Masters and Mosset
26 Aug - 23 Sep 2011A vibrant exhibition of prints celebrating the 20th century's greatest contemporary master artists including Jim Dine, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler and Ellsworth Kelly among others. Also featured are prints and...Read more