Lloyd Kelly
Exactitude is not truth
— Matisse
There is no excellent beauty that hath
not some strangeness in the proportion
— Francis Bacon (essayist)
Born of Abstraction
My paintings are not about what is depicted. They come from within. They are born of emotions, experiences and concepts which surface subconsciously, and consciously. Utilizing opposites, the paintings attract, repel, create tension and come to a resolution through visual dialogue and interaction with the viewer.
Contemporary Realist
This is a high wire act. Could be dismissed at a glance as trite, nothing new, decorative and illustrative. This is dangerous territory for someone who claims to be post modern. I balance the yin and yang of conceptual abstraction and the use of conventional images and motifs that are accessible and familiar.
Asymmetry or Occult Balance
Asymmetry has a way of inviting the spectator to participate in offbeat rhythms, elastic tempos, tensions, and the internal life of the design. The word occult denotes secretiveness, mystery, and there is something that wants to escape us in fine examples of this kind of hidden balance. Some of these are to be found in ancient Chinese and Japanese pairings, in the art of Japanese flower arranging and in the art of the Japanese garden.
A Story
A woman from a Massachusetts first family invited me for tea at her Vineyard cottage. She said “Mr. Kelly,
don’t get me wrong, I love your painting...” an opening every artist finds uncomfortable... “I bought your painting to match my chintz, which it does perfectly — I realize one is not supposed to do that sort of thing. But I must say, that painting is doing something in my sitting room. I can’t stop looking at it. This is some sort of Trojan Horse; I fear something is creeping out. Can you explain it?”
Post new comment