Form into Spirit: Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Austin’

Exhibition Website

Feb 18 2018 - Apr 29 2018

Ellsworth Kelly’s last great work, the chapel-like structure entitled Austin now being realized at the Blanton Museum, has its roots in the artist’s deep appreciation of historical European art and architecture. This exhibition will explore how Austin’s conceptual origins began in the seminal period Kelly spent in France (1948-54), when he immersed himself in the country’s artistic traditions and monuments. Rarely seen early paintings and drawings fuse Judeo-Christian themes with the artist’s own modern aesthetic, making clear Austin’s decades-long germination. This section will also include the first models and designs for the building’s initial conception in the mid-1980s. Four other expansive sections will elucidate Kelly’s rich explorations of Austin’s four main motifs: Spectrum, Black and White, Color Grid, and Totem

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.         

  • Various Media
  • American
  • 20th Century
  • Architecture
  • Ellsworth Kelly

Exhibition Venues & Dates