In Kelsey Brookes’ mixed media on canvas painting, ‘Goofball Gobbledy-Gook’, the artist demonstrates his unique ‘loosening’ approach to the figurative representation. Viewed from a distance, the soft rendering of an elephant’s head is clearly visible as it emerges from a plethora of brightly color confetti. Upon closer inspection, the intricately detailed patterns of color become apparently intertwined with the animal form and are seemingly unfurling from the body. Here, the collage of colors create shapes, symbols, and text, revealing the composition’s title, additional animal forms, and ethnically inspired patterns that together radiate the elephant’s energy.

Formally trained as a scientist, American artist Kelsey Brookes (b.1978) abandoned his biochemical career for art and now lives and works as a painter in San Diego, California. Inspired by natural forms, Brookes’ paintings are largely focused on abstract representations of animal and plant-life figures that unfold on the canvas in a release of swirling patterns of color and text. Born in Denver, CO, Brookes graduated from Colorado State University, For Collins, CO in 2000. His work has been recently exhibited in solo shows at Circle Culture Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2011); Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2011); Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla, CA (2010); Lazarides Gallery, London, England (2009); New Image Art Gallery, Santa Monica, CA (2008); and Bern, Switzerland (2007).