Robert Kelly: Black on Bone - Selected works

About

Commanding and rich in texture, Kelly’s works combine techniques such as assemblage, drawing, painting and glazing, which are meticulously layered to create complex compositions. Much of Kelly’s practice is process driven and he has honed his technique throughout his career to create a clear and developed artistic language. His palette is consistent, drawing from organic shades of brown, black, ochre and red, often using contrasting colours to increase the power and drama of the works.

Pure abstraction leads Kelly’s process, which is guided by the painting itself as the artist explains: “I don’t want to paint something; I want to let a painting become itself.” Preparing the canvas is a key initial process and an art form in itself for Kelly; he works with found paper and ephemera including postcards, letters, posters and prints, which he patiently arranges ‘wet on wet’ on the canvas. The result is an intensely layered pictorial surface reminiscent of a patchwork, revealing traces of history and culture through the collaged fragments.