Robert Kelly (American b. 1956) "Shebia Ruz XV" 2000

Robert Kelly (American b. 1956) "Shebia Ruz XV" 2000 oil and mixed media on canvas signed on verso. Image is 62" x 48", measurements listed include the frame.

Robert Kelly’s painted collages are anchored in a step-by-step process of formal puzzle composition, and informed by decades of expert surface crafting. Having grown fond of the pared-down tools of line, form, and color, he juxtaposes these elements with items gathered during extensive travels. Antique botanical drawings, handwritten notes, small sketches and vintage signs come together as the ground for his works. Through meditative layering and edge-to-edge arrangements, his sensual surfaces, full of tension and exquisite junctions, expose histories of tactile decisions.

Robert W. Kelly was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and graduated from Harvard University, Cambridge with a MA in 1978. Throughout his career he has received positive reviews in many prestigious publications including Art in America, ARTnews and the Los Angeles Times. He is represented in both private and public collections including the Dallas Museum of Fine Art, IBM, New York and the Museum of Fine Art, Santa Fe. Although frequently returning to the Southwest, Kelly resides in New York City.