Robert Kelly (American, b.1956) is an American painter. Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kelly received his BA in 1978 from Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Influenced by the De Stijl movement,
Kazimir Malevich (Russian/Ukrainian, 1878–1935),
Piet Mondrian (Dutch, 1872–1944), and modernists like
Kurt Schwitters (German, 1887–1948), Kelly quotes also artists such as
Louise Bourgeois (American/French, 1911–2010),
Hans Arp (French, 1886–1966), and
Ellsworth Kelly (American, b.1923). Kelly began to work for Polaroid in Cambridge; he also had some residencies at The MacDowell Colony and The Károlyi Foundation in Vence, France. Then, in 1982, he decided to pursue a career exclusively in painting.
Kelly’s work investigates the idea of doubleness through images that reflect, oppose, or imitate each other. He compares his work method to the practice of a stonemason building a wall: his play on
edges, angles, and cuts creates a tension and an intuitive logic to the placement of line and form. Kelly found inspiration when traveling throughout the United States, Europe, North Africa, and Nepal. His works often incorporate unusual materials found during his trips, such as vintage posters or printed antique paper, to create collage works with saturated pigments.
Kelly has held solo exhibitions all around the world, including at Spazio Bianco/AR Contemporary Art in Milan, Italy, Leslie Feely Fine Art in New York, NY, John Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco, CA, and Linda Durham Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His works are part of public collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, the Fogg Museum in Cambridge, MA, the Brooklym Museum in Brooklyn, NY, and the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX.
Kelly currently lives and works in New York City and Santa Fe, New Mexico.