Completed in 1996, Robert Kelly's 'Tree of Consanguinity (Black Sheep)' alludes to ideas of kinship and blood relations through the subtle inclusion of initials, antique papers, and historical elements collaged into a single composition. Reaching beyond his own personal genealogy, Kelly's seductive and sensuous work follows a lineage anchored in modernism. In this painting, varied blue squares float above an intimate field of calligraphic notations and delicate fields of color, wedding Bauhaus ideals and Constructivist forms with contemporary abstraction.

Robert Kelly’s (b.1956) intricately constructed paintings explore the balance of space through multiple layers of interacting markings and forms. Using both echoing and opposing shapes and angles, Kelly emphasizes the duality in his work. Through his complex techniques, which often involve varied media and collaged elements, Kelly is able to provide a sense of depth, richness, and harmony within his paintings. Born in Santa Fe, NM, Kelly studied at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, where he earned his BA in 1978. His work has recently been the subject of solo exhibitions at James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM (2012); Relais San Maurizio/AR Contemporary Art, Italy (2010); John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA (2009); and Leslie Feely Fine Art, New York, NY (2008).

Selected Public Collections:

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
The Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
The McNay Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX