Susan Sheehan Gallery is showcasing a group of works from the series Colored Paper Images by Ellsworth Kelly created in 1976. These works were made in small editions, supplemented by artist’s proof impressions. Kelly considered each of these works unique because of the variations in each image caused by the paper pulp printing process.
This significant historic group traces Ellsworth Kelly’s progression of utilizing the distinctive medium of colored paper pulp to expand upon his seminal investigations into perceptions of form, line, and color. However, his willingness to experiment with bleeding color and the variable surface qualities of handmade paper was a radical departure from his established preoccupation (which he maintained in paintings) with immaculate shape, bounded color, and pristine surface. The unpredictable nature of the materials allowed chance to enter into Kelly’s highly controlled working process while also making each impression distinctive.
The highly experimental series was created in collaboration with the master printer Kenneth Tyler in Mt. Kisco, New York in 1976 and 1977. It was exhibited in Colored Paper Images at The Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1978 and it was also shown at the exhibition Colored Paper Images at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. in 2012.