Ellsworth Kelly

Ellsworth Kelly’s untitled redwood sculpture and Spectrum IX, 2014, one of the last paintings completed before the artist’s death, are two recent acquisitions in Glenstone’s collection. Best known for his contributions to American abstraction, Kelly (b. 1923, d. 2015) frequently revisited shapes and motifs he observed from his own lived experience throughout his decades-long career. Spectrum IX, 2014, is composed of twelve joined monochromatic panels, and marks the final work in a series of color progressions the artist first began in the 1950s. At nearly 15-feet tall, Untitled, 1996, is an example of Kelly’s obelisk-like sculptures he colloquially called “totems.” Visitors can also view another “totem” at Glenstone: the site-specific outdoor sculpture Untitled, 2005, installed across the pond from the Gallery.