Radical Light
Artist's Statement
“Not to render the visible, but to render visible”
-Paul Klee
My paintings are born out of the friction between the epic and the absurd, the grand and the mundane. To expose this friction, diversity is preferred and evidenced through strange combinations of forms, color and surfaces. In these abstractions, I seek out a playful balance between the seductive and strange in order to unlock an image of strength and power.
The search for this kind of image is based on intuition and a constant search for source material. While I do not pull directly from the contemporary landscape or particular objects for my pieces, I do collect small things in the studio that evoke the kind of colors and forms desired in the paintings. A certain palette or composition make arise from these objects, which keeps at least one small part of the abstraction tethered to reality while the rest is free from those constraints. Above all other things in the paintings, I wish to explore and share alternative ways of seeing, looking and thinking.
Bio
Kelly was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1982. She received her BFA in Studio Art in 2000 from Hollins University. During her time as an undergraduate she traveled abroad to London, England and to Todi, Italy to study painting and engage her love of travel. In that vein, she also received a small grant for a month-long journey across the U.S. called The Movable Studio. After graduating from Hollins she worked at a gallery in Roanoke, Virginia while maintaining her studio practice. In 2005 she joined an artists collective called the Magic Twig Community. In 2008 she graduated from the MFA program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. While painting is her primary medium, she continues to expand her knowledge of other artistic interests including: photography, beadwork, and embroidery. She currently lives and works in Richmond, Virginia.