Ellsworth Kelly

Ellsworth Kelly´s "figure/ground" series represents a key episode in the career of the influential abstract artist. The MFAH exhibition of his work includes three monumentally scaled works from the "figure/ground" series, as well as a number of related paintings and drawings, including many from the artist´s own collection

The exhibition explores the complex interplay of inspirations that led to a grand, powerful series of paintings. Ellsworth Kelly: Red Green Blue is the first exhibition to focus on a pivotal body of work by Ellsworth Kelly (born 1923) from the years 1958 to 1965, when he established his reputation as one of the most important American abstract artists of the postwar period. Showcasing 14 major paintings and 36 related drawings, collages, and photographs, Red Green Blue illuminates the processes by which Kelly distills his lines, forms, and colors from real-world sources.

The exhibition examines a selection of grand "figure/ground" paintings—rectangular canvases consisting of simple forms in one or two colors against a third "ground" color. The heart of the project is a group of large-scale paintings, widely acknowledged as masterpieces, that use precisely balanced shapes as well as the harmonies and dissonances between the colors red, green, and blue to create a bold and dynamic compositional balance. With these virtuoso works, Kelly defined the interests and approaches that still drive his work today. The artist, who celebrates his 80th birthday this year, took part in the planning of the exhibition.

Pressetext

Ellsworth Kelly: Red Green Blue
Ort: Audrey Jones Beck Building