Cor-Ten Revisited brings together a selection of sculptures by Lee Kelly made of Cor-Ten steel, which is known for its distinctive, weathered finish. Throughout his career and across several bodies of work, Kelly frequently returned to Cor-Ten steel as a medium. The exhibition includes freestanding and wall-mounted sculptures made between 1977 and 2021, giving an overview of Kelly’s exploration of geometric shapes and formal imagery.
The exhibition includes sculptures from several of Kelly’s series, many of which reflect the influence of the artist’s travels on his work. Two Haida sculptures reference the artwork of the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of British Columbia, wall-mounted Kyoto sculptures are inspired by a visit to Japanese temples and kanji characters, and Goddess Revisited and Unicycle Variation reflect architectural elements seen in India and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
Also on view are studies for large scale public sculptures, collages on gold leaf grounds which give insight into Kelly’s process and visual language, and Memory IX, from Kelly’s Memory series of monumental sculptures made once every ten years as a reflection of the preceding decade.
The exhibition includes sculptures from several of Kelly’s series, many of which reflect the influence of the artist’s travels on his work. Two Haida sculptures reference the artwork of the Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of British Columbia, wall-mounted Kyoto sculptures are inspired by a visit to Japanese temples and kanji characters, and Goddess Revisited and Unicycle Variation reflect architectural elements seen in India and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
Also on view are studies for large scale public sculptures, collages on gold leaf grounds which give insight into Kelly’s process and visual language, and Memory IX, from Kelly’s Memory series of monumental sculptures made once every ten years as a reflection of the preceding decade.
