CHRIS KELLY
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"Deconstruction" is a term that shows up in various places related to the arts (such as in literary criticism or in architecture), but I believe that all art is about deconstructing something and then rebuilding it. We observe, analyze, take apart, reimagine, and then use those various parts as building blocks for a new work of art. Such is my process, and for this series of artworks I am deconstructing the hidden geometry of nature and exploring how it connects humanity to the natural world. Specifically: the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, and fractals (though not the same, they are closely related).
This geometry can be seen in wildly different aspects of nature - from the curve of seashells, to hurricanes, and all the way to the shapes of galaxies. But the same mathematics apply to fields of study in the human realm, too - music, psychology, chemistry, biology, and many more... this geometry is integral to who we are, all of us, and how we understand the functioning of the world. It speaks to something elemental and primal that is undeniable once you know how to look for it and how to find it.
It has also been used in art for millennia - the Old Masters used it to organize their subject matter, such as the placement of a horizon line or a vertical shape. When I begin, I start with a grid based on the Golden Ratio. Then as I build the artwork I always think of it as a puzzle to be solved. I choose to have the mathematical relationships in some areas, but I often shift them so that shapes slide over and into each other - this creates a drama that has both tension and resolve, and the brushwork creates a subtle energy that complements the solid structures of the paintings. Math is as much a medium as my oil paints.
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In my life, I always like to seek out and discover the way things are connected. These artworks are about the connection of our inner selves to something greater beyond ourselves, and they are reminders of the wild beauty that is all around us. We are a part of nature, and the mathematics that exist just behind the scenes are proof of this. As "Interiors" they are a refuge from the outside world - if the chaotic world outside is the storm, then I think of each artwork as the eye of the storm. But we're not just looking at it, we're looking into it, through it, and finding safe passage.Chris was raised on the east end of Long Island in East Hampton, NY. He studied painting and sculpture at Cornell University and has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions - most recently at Gallery RIVAA in New York City and Colm Rowan Fine Art in East Hampton. He has received corporate commissions from the Dream Hotel and InSpace Design in Manhattan, the Grey Matters design group in Singapore. His paintings are included in various corporate spaces and private collections.
He has worked with interior design firms ranging from onsite murals in Harbor Island, Bahamas, to large-scale installations in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn for many years, Chris is currently living in East Hampton creating artwork full time
