Elizabeth Leach Gallery is pleased to present Recent Work by Lee Kelly, featuring steel sculptures, cast bronze forms and figurative watercolors. The exhibition focuses on new works inspired by past writings, musings and studies found inside the pages of the artist’s studio sketchbooks.
Kelly’s travel inspirations are evident in the sculptural works that range in scale from immense standing sculptures to intimately sized cast bronze pieces. The lyrical imagery synthesizes modernist and ancient aesthetics, as exemplified in Tibetan Wedding, 2020, where the central figure of the circular trio appears to be residing over a ceremony between two zig-zagged shaped forms perched on rudimentary wheels. Swirling markings on the steel’s surface are made by a grinder tool that texturizes and activates the metal, allowing brilliant light reflections at every vantage point. The end result evokes a feeling of exuberant celebration.
In a quieter contemplative work, Yucatan Unicycle, 2020, includes an elongated vertical shape balanced on a bisected wheel-like structure at the base. The form communicates the strength and frailty of the human body sitting solidly balanced and grounded in place, while its Cor-ten steel patina is intended to weather and evolve over time.
