Robert Kelly

b. 1956, Santa Fe, NM

Robert Kelly’s painted collages are anchored in a step-by-step process of formal puzzle composition and informed by decades of expert surface crafting. Having grown fond of the pared-down tools of line, form, and color, he juxtaposes these elements with items gathered during extensive travels. Antique botanical drawings, handwritten notes, small sketches, and vintage signs come together as the ground for his works. Through meditative layering and edge-to-edge arrangements, his sensual surfaces, full of tension and exquisite junctions, expose histories of tactile decisions. 

Robert W. Kelly was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and graduated from Harvard University, Cambridge with an MA in 1978. Throughout his career, he has received positive reviews in many prestigious publications including Art in America, ARTnews and the Los Angeles Times. He is represented in both private and public collections including the Dallas Museum of Fine Art, IBM, New York and the Museum of Fine Art, Santa Fe. Although frequently returning to the Southwest, Kelly resides in New York City.

EDUCATION

1978 BA, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2016 Black on Bone, Sophia Contemporary Gallery, London, England
2016 Contructions/Contrucoes, Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2016 Concealed to Revealed, Octavia Art Gallery, New Orleans, LI
2015 Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2014 John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014 Galleri Weinberger, Copenhagen, Denmark
2013 Quintenz Gallery and David Floria, Aspen, CO
2012 James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2010 Spazio Bianco, Relais San Maurizio / AR Contemporary Art, Italy
2009 John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2008 Leslie Feely Fine Art, New York, NY
2008 Robert Kelly /Mel Kendrick, David Floria Gallery, Aspen, CO
2007 David Floria Gallery, Aspen CO
2006 Barbara Davia Gallery, Houston, TX
2006 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2005 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2005 AR Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy
2005 Doug Udell Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
2004 Linda Durham Contemporary Art Galisteo, NM
2004 John Berggreun Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2004 Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2003 Linda Durham Contemporary Art, New York, NY
2003 Scott White Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA
2002 John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2002 Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2002 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2002 Doug Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2001 Linda Durham Contemporary Art, Galisteo, NM
2000 John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2000 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
2000 Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX
2000 Barbara Singer Fine Art, Cambridge, MA
1999 SOMA Gallery, La Jolla, CA
1999 Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1999 Linda Durham Gallery Contemporary Art, Galisteo, NM
1999 Works on Paper, Betsy Senior Gallery, New York, NY
1998 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1997 Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1997 Linda Durham Contemporary Art, Galisteo, NM
1997 Erickson & Elins Fine Art, San Fransico, CA
1996 Sarah Dobbs Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
1994 Linda Durham Contemporary Art, Galisteo, NM
1993 Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA
1993 Victoria Munroe Fine Art, New York, NY
1993 Erickson & Elins Fine Art, San Fransico, CA
1992 Linda Durham Gallery Contemporary Art, Galisteo, NM
1989 Galleri Weinberger, Copenhagen, Denmark
1985 Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017 Art Stage Singapore 2017, Sophia Contemporary, Singapore, Malaysia
2017 Group Show, Leslie Feely, New York, NY
2017 Art Miami, Leslie Feely, Miami, FL
2016 Frieze Masters, Sophia Contemporary Gallery, London, England
2016 Site Unseen 9, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2015 Manifesto, Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2015 PINTA Miami, Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, Miami, FL
2015 ArtBasel Miami Beach, Leslie Feely Fine Art, Miami, FL
2015 Art 15, Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, London, UK
2015 SP-Arte 2015, Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2015 Paintings and Sculpture, John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2014 Basel Art Fair, John Berggruen Gallery, Miami, FL
2014 Mercedes Viegas Arte Contemporanea, Sao Paulo Arte, Brazil
2014 Relocation Show, William Shearburn Gallery, St. Louis, MO
2013 Arte Contemporanes, Art Rio, Art Basel Miami Beach 2014, Miami, FL
2013 James Kelly Contemporary, Palm Springs, CA
2013 Robert Kelly and Mel Kendrick, Quintenz Gallery, Aspen, CO
2013 Realms Uncharted, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX
2012 Abstraction, Beatriz Esguerra Art, Bogota, Colombia
2012 Caveau, Galleria Riccardo Crespi, Milan, Italy
2012 ADAA Art Show, Berggruen Gallery, New York, NY
2012 Gallery Artists, Leslie Feely Fine Art, Miami, FL
2012 Mile Marker, 3 Decades of Contemporary Art, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX
2012 Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, William Shearburn Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
2012 Dallas Art Fair, Shearburn Gallery, Dallas, TX
2011 Miami Basel, Leslie Feely Fine Art, Miami, FL
2011 Frank Stella/Richard Diebenkorn/Robert Kelly, Leslie Feely Fine Art, New York, NY
2010 The Art of Giving/Xmas Show, John Berggruen Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010 Black & White, Jason McCoy Inc., New York, NY
2010 New Arrivals, Leslie Feely Fine Art, Miami, FL
2010 Black & White, Galleri Weinberger, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010 Dallas Art Fair, Shearburn Gallery, Dallas, TX
2009 Cleve Carney Collection, Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL
2008 Tipping the Balance, The Drawing Room, East Hampton, NY
2008 Linear Manifestations, Jeannie Freilich Contemporary, New York, NY
2008 Robert Kelly/Mel Kendrick, David Floria Gallery, Aspen, CO
2008 ADAA The Art Show 2008, Berggruen Gallery, New York, NY
2008 Chicago Art Fair 2008, Shearburn Gallery, Chicago, IL
2008 Summer Group Show, Leslie Feeley Fine Art, New York, NY
2007 Basel Art Fair, Berggruen Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
2007 20th Year Anniversary Exhibition, Galleri Weinberger, Copenhagen, Denmark
2007 Basel Art Fair, Berggruen Gallery, Miami, FL
2007 Group Show, The Drawing Room, East Hampton, NY
2007 Year 07/London Art Projects, AR Contemporary, Milan, Italy
2007 Toronto Art Fair, Douglas Udell Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2007 ADAA The Art Show 2007, New York, NY
2007 Linda Durham Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, NM
2006 25 Year Collage Show, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
2006 Basel Art Fair, Berggruen Gallery, Basel Switzerland
2006 Miami/Basel Art Fair 2006, John Berggruen Gallery, Miami, FL
2005 You are Invited, Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Palm Desert, CA
2005 MOMA Lecture Series, Greenwich, CT
2005 palmbeach3, Scott White Contemporary Art, Palmbeach, CA
2005 Six American Artists, AR Contemporary Art, Milan, Italy
2004 Miami/Basel Art Fair, John Berggruen Gallery, Miami, FL
2004 Celebrating 23 Years, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
2004 Sean Scully and Robert Kelly, Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2003 Site/Unseen, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2003 Color/Form/Figure, John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2003 Art Basel, Miami, John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2003 Mano A Mano, Robert Kelly/Ricardo Mazal, Lendrum Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
2003 1111, Chiaroscuro Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, NM
2003 Genius Loci, DMJM Rottet, Houston, TX
2003 An American 6, Seraio Tossi Arte Contemporanea, Florence, Italy
2002 Six in the City, Linda Durham Contemporary Art, New York, NY
2002 Currents, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX
2002 Eye Candy, Soma Gallery, La Jolla, CA
2002 Layerings, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
2002 Summer in the City, John Berggruen Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2000 Mysticism and Desire, Patricia Hamilton Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA
2000 Summer Reading, Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
2000 Passion and Perspective, Sandy Carson Gallery, Denver, CO
2000 Abstraction: Form and Field, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
2000 Processes, Douglas Udell Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
1999 TEXT: A Survey of Minimalism, SOMA Gallery, La Jolla, CA
1999 Sheer Abstraction, Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, TX
1999 One Common Denominator, Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1999 Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos: The City Series, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, IA
1998 One Common Denominator, Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1998 Limited Edition Prints & Sculpture, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, New York, NY
1998 Mary Judge & Robert Kelly, Betsy Senior Gallery, New York, NY
1997 State of the Questions, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
1996 Retrospective/Prospective, Anne Reed Gallery, Ketchum, ID
1996 SITE Santa Fe, Contemporary New Mexico Artists, Sketches & Schemas, Santa Fe, NM
1996 Sheldon Art Gallery, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NB
1996 Linda Durham Gallery Contemporary Art, Galisteo, NM
1995 Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1994 Twelfth Annual Salon Show, Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA
1991 Selected Works on Paper, Victoria, Munroe Fine Art, New York, NY
1991 The Painter, Victoria, Munroe Fine Art, New York, NY
1989 Collector’s Choice, Center for the Arts, Vero Beach, FL
1989 Monotypes from the Garner Tullis Workshop, Persons/Lindell Gallery, Helsinki Finland
1998 Gallery Artists, Galleri Weinberger, Copenhagen Denmark
1985 Krakow International Print Biennale, Poland
1984 Linda Durham Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
1984 Salon Show, Clark Gallery, Lincoln, MA

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
The Marguilies Collection, Miami, FL
University of New Mexico Art Museum, Albuquerque, NM
The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
The Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI
Smith College Art Museum, Northampton, MA
Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, NJ
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL
The Fogg Museum, Cambridge, MA
The McNay Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX
New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM

SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

AT&T, New York, NY
Body Shop International, London England
Chemical Bank, London, England
Chemical Bank, Wilmington, DE
Christian Science Headquarters, Boston, MA
Colgate, New York, NY
Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Boston, MA
Dupont, Wilmington, DE
General Mills, Minneapolis, MN
Gillette, Boston, MA
Grey Advertising, New York, NY
IBM, New York, NY
Hallmark, Kansas City, MI
Werner Kramarsky, New York, NY
Marsh & Malennan Inc., New York, NY
Mead Data Central, Dayton, OH
William C. Mercer Collection, New York, NY
Microsoft Corporation, Mountain View, CA
Mitsubishi, New York, NY
Morgan Guarantee Trust Company, New York, NY
New England Life, Boston, MA
The Olin Foundation, NY
Pepsi Cola Company of Annapolis, MA
Philip Morris CO., Boston, MA
Price Waterhouse, Boston, MA
Scientific Atlanta Headquarters, Atlanta, GA
Smith Barney, New York, NY
Solomon Brothers, New York, NY
Time Inc., New York, NY
Wang, Boston, MA
The Ginny Williams Foundation
Wills Eyes Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
Dell Foundation, Austin, TX
Boston Properties/GM-Project, New York, NY

PUBLICATIONS
2016 Shatskikh, Alexandra. Robert Kelly, Virtuoso of the Palimpsest, Black on Bone: Selected Works, 2016
2016 Jansen, Charlotte. Abstract artist Robert Kelly layers postcards, prints and
posters, Wallpaper, October 2016
2016 Neuendorf, Henri. Robert Kelly to Unveil Lage-Scale Paintings at London’s,
Artnet News, September 2016
2016 AfterNyne, The Art Lover’s Magazine, A Century of Influence: Robert Kelly on Malevich, September 28, 2016
2016 Blouin Artinfo, Datebook: Robert Kelly Solo ‘Black on Bone’ at Sophia Contemporary, September 21, 2016
2016 Phaidon, A Movement in a Moment, Suprematism, www.phaidon.com, September 27, 2016
2015 Grabaek, Karin, Walsted, Helle, NY Art Space / Robert Kelly, Rum Interior Design
2014 Lassell, Michael, An Artist and His Studio, NYC&G
2014 Keenan, Sandy. Treating His House Like a Museum, Home & Garden
2012 Tobin, Richard. Robert Kelly: Back And Forth, THE Magazine, October 2012
2010 Zorgniotti, Alessandro. L’autore Eccellenze pittoriche dalle carte vintage. il Giornale del Piemonte, October 2010
2010 Edward Leffingwell. Robert Kelly, Paper Trails. Spazio Bianco – Relais San Maurizio / AR Contemporary Art, Italy
2010 Susan Sheehan, The Little Nell, On Its 20th Anniversary. Architectural Digest, June 2010
2009 Bonhams, Contemporary and Modern Art. November 10, 2009
2009 Nancy Keates, Aspen’s Little Nell Gets a Big Make Over. WS Journal, August 2009
2009 Joe Fletcher. Time for a Change. Interior Design, July 2009
2009 AB, John Berggruen Gallery: Robert Kelly – New Work. ArtBusiness.com. June 25, 2009
2009 Hilarie M. Sheets. Robert Kelly, Leslie Feely Fine Art, ARTnews, March 2009
2007 Garcia, Luisa. Une muestra el oxido, lo digital yel dialogo, Vida El Norte, November 16, 2007
2007 Cook-Romero, Elizabeth. The Sights of Silence, The New Mexican, Pasatiempo, June 22, 2007
2006 Previews. Santa Fe Summer Preview, Art In America June, 2006
2005 Ribas, Joao. Robert Kelly Recent Works, AR/Contemporary Gallery. October 2005
2004 Weideman, Paul. The Wide World of Zeros and Ones, The New Mexican, Pasatiempo, March 19, 2004
2004 Davis, Kathryn M. Robert Kelly: New Paintings/Assemblages, THE Magazine
2004 Dugan, Dana. Artist Renders Formalism With Soul, Idaho Mountain Express
2004 Kuntz, Melissa. Robert Kelly at Linda Durham, Art in America
2004 Loos, Ted. Sun Valley Splendor, House Beautiful
2000 Devon, Marjorie. Tamarind: 40 Years, University of New Mexico Press
2000 McQuaid, Cate. Opening of last show to celebrate Singer’s life, Arts Media-Boston’s VA Guide,
1999 Mandel, Charles. The Paint is the Point, Edmonton Journal.
1999 Sperduto, Doretta. Serenity in Seattle, Met Home.
1999 Weidman, Paul. Traveling Breaks Creative Habits, The New Mexican.
1999 Rexer, Lyle. Robert Kelly At Betsy Senior, New York, Review.
1998 Johnson, Ken. Mary Judge & Robert Kelly, Betsy Senior Gallery, New York Times.
1998 Miller, Joe. Report From Colorado, Looking to the Future, Art in America
1997 Bottomley, Sue Anne. Silk aquatint; Old Hat Or Nouveau Chapeau, Printmaking Today
1997 Melrod, George. Preview, Art & Antiques
1997 Moldaw, Carol. Chalkmarks On Stone, La Alameda Press, New Mexico
1997 McCloud, Kathleen. Robert Kelly: Complex Layers of Meaning, The New Mexican
1996 McCloud, Kathleen. Monotypes are Perfect Metaphors for Memory: Robert Kelly
Accumulates History, Pasatiempo, The Santa Fe New Mexican
1996 Robert Kelly, Santa Fean Magazine, Vol 24, No 6
1995 Adelmann, Jan Ernsy. Report From Santa Fe, Going Mainstream, Art in America
1995 Armitage, Diane. Geometric Abstraction at Allene Lapids Gallery, THE Magazine
1995 Tobin, Richard. Robert Kelly at Linda Durham, Galisteo, THE Magazine
1995 Gustafson, Paula. Doug Edge/Robert Kelly/Julie Richard, The Georgia Straight
1994 Bentley, Lis. Timeless Works Of Ancient, Devotional Spirit, Santa Fe New Mexico
1993 Stapen, Nancy. Painters Stretch the Possible – Robert Ripps, Kathleen Bradford, Robert Kelly, The Boston Globe
1993 Henry, Gerrit. Robert Kelly; Victoria Munroe Gallery, ArtNews, Houseguests, Art Talk,
1993 Unger, Miles. Robert Kelly, Art New England
1992 Van de Walle, Mark. Robert Kelly at Linda Durham, Galisteo, THE Magazine
1992 Reed, Arden. Robert Kelly: The Historical Present, Artspace
1992 Bell, David. Artwork Taps Sensitivity Awareness, Albuquerque Journal
1988 Review, Albuquerque Journal
1988 Donahue, Marlena. Review, Los Angeles Times
1983 Zellen, Jody. Best of Boston, Art New England, Vol 4, No 6
1981 Guiliano, Charles. Boston Now: Abstract Artists, Art New England
1981 Baker, Kenneth. Local Color at the ICA, Boston Phoenix

Fine Art America: Robert Kelly and Thomas Kelly From Concealed to Revealed
Twins often have commonalities; for Robert and Thomas one thing they share is an intuitive poetic sensibility to shape, form, and color. Thomas captures fleeting moments and the spirit within humans, while Robert creates spirit through his use of line and form on canvas.

Artsy: Robert Kelly Brings “Exquisite Junctions” to Sophia Contemporary for His First London Solo Show
Unlike the work of some artists who deal in abstraction, Robert Kelly’s meticulous compositions are deeply rooted in the stuff of the real world. The formidable paintings—“formal puzzles,” he has called them—mix line and color with vague remnants of text.