Date of Birth: May 31, 1923
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Date of Death: December 27, 2015
Biography
Ellsworth Kelly was an influential American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, recognized for his pioneering work in the fields of hard-edge painting, color field painting, and minimalism. Born on May 31, 1923, in Newburgh, New York, Kelly developed an early interest in birds and natural forms, which later influenced his approach to abstraction. Kelly’s formal art education began at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1941, but his studies were interrupted by his service in the Army during World War II. After the war, he took advantage of the G.I. Bill to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts. It was in Paris that Kelly immersed himself in the European avant-garde, drawing inspiration from artists such as Jean Arp and Constantin Brâncuși. Throughout his career, Kelly’s work was characterized by its simplicity and clarity, often featuring bold colors, clean lines, and geometric forms. His art sought to explore the relationship between form and space, often employing techniques such as painting on shaped canvases and creating large-scale installations. Kelly’s works are held in numerous prestigious collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He received many honors, including the National Medal of Arts and membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Ellsworth Kelly passed away on December 27, 2015, in Spencertown, New York.
5 Interesting Facts about Ellsworth Kelly
1. Ellsworth Kelly served in a camouflage unit during World War II, which influenced his understanding of form and color.
2. Kelly’s first solo exhibition was held in Paris in 1951 at the Galerie Arnaud.
3. He was awarded the Praemium Imperiale International Arts Award for painting by the Japan Art Association in 2000.
4. Kelly’s “Austin,” a monumental building and his final work, was completed posthumously in 2018 at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas.
5. He was known for his unique technique of creating collages from cut-up pieces of colored paper, which served as studies for his paintings.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Ellsworth Kelly
1. “Shape and color are my two strong things. And by doing this, drawing plants has always led me into my paintings and my sculptures.”
2. “I don’t labor over my drawings. I want to get freedom in the line.”
3. “I realized I didn’t want to compose pictures. I wanted to find them.”
4. “The way I work is that I don’t use a sketchbook or make preliminary drawings. I make studies, but they’re always studies for something specific.”
5. “I think that if you can turn off the mind and look only with the eyes, ultimately everything becomes abstract.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At the peak of his career, Ellsworth Kelly’s net worth was estimated to be around $20 million.
Children
Ellsworth Kelly did not have any children.
Relevant Links
1. [Ellsworth Kelly on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellsworth_Kelly
2. [Ellsworth Kelly at the Museum of Modern Art](https://www.moma.org/artists/3047
3. [Ellsworth Kelly at the Tate Gallery](https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/ellsworth-kelly-1386
5. [Ellsworth Kelly Foundation](https://www.ellsworthkelly.org
