Mike Kelley (artist)
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| - | '''Mike Kelley''' (born 1954 in [[Detroit]], lives and works in [[Los Angeles]]) is an American [[artist]]. | + | '''Michael "Mike" Kelley''' (October 27, 1954 – January 31, 2012 or February 1, 2012) was an American artist. His work involved [[found objects]], [[stuffed animals]], textile banners, drawings, assemblage, [[collage]], performance and [[video]]. He often worked collaboratively and had produced projects with artists [[Paul McCarthy]], [[Tony Oursler]] and John Miller. His oeuvre is often discussed by critics as engaging with the concept of [[abjection]]. |
| - | He is one of the most influential artists to emerge from west coast art scene in the [[United States]] since the [[1980s]]. His work involves [[stuffed animals]], textile banners and carpets, and his output also includes drawings, objects, assemblage, [[collage]], performance and [[video]]. | + | ==Life and work== |
| - | His oeuvre is often discussed by critics as engaging with the concept of [[Abjection]]. He staged his most ambitious show to date in November/December 2005, "Day is Done," filling Gagosian Gallery with funhouse-like multimedia installations, including automated furniture, as well as films of dream-like ceremonies inspired by high school year book photos of pageants, sports matches and theater productions. In December 2005, [[Village Voice]] art critic [[Jerry Saltz]] cited "Day is Done" as a pioneering example of "clusterfuck aesthetics," the tendency towards overloaded multimedia environments in contemporary art. | + | Kelley was born in [[Wayne, Michigan]], a suburb of [[Detroit]] in 1954. In his early years he was involved with the city's music scene which spawned bands such as [[The Stooges|Iggy and the Stooges]], Kelley was a member of the noise band [[Destroy All Monsters (band)|Destroy All Monsters]]. In 1976 Kelley graduated from the [[University of Michigan]]. He moved to [[Los Angeles]] in 1978 and attended the [[California Institute of the Arts]], where he admired the work of his teachers [[John Baldessari]], [[Laurie Anderson (performance artist)|Laurie Anderson]], [[David Askevold]] and [[Douglas Huebler]]. At that time he started to work on a series of projects in which he explored works with loose poetic themes, such as ''The Sublime'', ''Monkey Island'' and ''Plato's Cave, Rothko's Chapel, Lincoln's Profile'', using a variety of different media such as drawing, painting, sculpture, performance and writing. Kelley started to gain recognition outside Los Angeles in the mid-eighties with the sculptural objects and installations from the series ''Half-a-Man'' and has since exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide and participated in events such as [[Documenta]] 9. [[Sonic Youth]] featured his work on the cover and booklet of their 1992 record ''[[Dirty (album)|Dirty]]''. The [[Whitney Museum]] in New York City held a major retrospective of his work in 1993. |
| - | == Mike Kelley: The Uncanny (2004) == | + | In November 2005, Kelley staged ''Day is Done'', filling [[Gagosian Gallery]] with funhouse-like multimedia installations, including automated furniture, as well as films of dream-like ceremonies inspired by high school year book photos of pageants, sports matches and theater productions. In December 2005, [[Village Voice]] art critic [[Jerry Saltz]] described "Day is Done" as a pioneering example of "clusterfuck aesthetics," the tendency towards overloaded multimedia environments in contemporary art. |
| - | Taking [[The Uncanny (Freud)|Freud's idea of the Uncanny]] as a starting point, artist Mike Kelley plays Sunday curator and presents work by [[Jasper Johns]], [[Paul McCarthy]], [[Jeff Koons]], [[Tony Oursler]], and others (reprinted from a 1993 catalogue), plus photos of chewing gum wrappers, postcards, record covers, and toys, all connected to ideas of youth and the Uncanny. Essays by Mike Kelley, [[Christoph Grunenberg]]. | + | |
| - | See also [http://www.tate.org.uk/about/pressoffice/pressreleases/mikekelly_01-03.htm] | + | Kelley was also in the band Poetics with fellow [[California Institute of the Arts]] students John Miller and [[Tony Oursler]]. |
| - | ==Biography== | + | Kelley's work was inspired by diverse sources such as history, philosophy, politics, underground music, decorative arts and working-class artistic expression. His art often examined class and gender issues as well as issues of normality, criminality and perversion. |
| - | Kelley was born in [[Wayne, Michigan]], a suburb of [[Detroit]] in [[1954]]. He was brought up with the city's music scene which spawned such bands as [[The Stooges|Iggy and the Stooges]], and he was a member of [[Destroy All Monsters (band)|Destroy All Monsters]]. | + | |
| - | He moved to [[Los Angeles]] in [[1978]] where he attended the [[California Institute of the Arts]] and started to work on a series of projects in which he explored quite a loose or poetic theme, such as ''The Sublime'', ''Monkey Island'' and ''Plato's cave, Lincoln's Profile'', using a variety of different media such as [[drawing]], [[painting]], [[sculpture]], performance and writing. Kelley started to gain recognition outside Los Angeles in the mid-eighties with the sculptural objects and installations from the series ''Half-a-Man'' and have since then exhibited in galleries and museums in other countries and participated in art events such as [[Documenta]] 9. Fans of the music group [[Sonic Youth]] will be familiar with his work from the cover and booklet of their 1992 record ''[[Dirty]]''. There was a retrospective of his work at the [[Whitney Museum]] in [[New York City]] in [[1993]]. He has been showing with Metro Pictures, New York since 1982. | + | Kelley was found dead in an apparent suicide in 2012. |
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| - | Kelley was also in the band Poetics with fellow [[California Institute of the Arts]] students [[John Miller]] and [[Tony Oursler]]. | + | |
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| - | Kelley's work is inspired by as diverse sources as [[history]], [[philosophy]], [[politics]], underground rock music, decorative arts and working-class artistic expression. His art often takes up class and gender issues as well as issues of normality, criminality and perversion. | + | |
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| - | Kelley is currently a faculty member in the graduate department of fine art at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. | + | |
| ==A selection of representative works== | ==A selection of representative works== | ||
| - | *"Half-a-Man", 1987-91, Series of objects, drawings and installations | + | *"Mike Kelley at Skarstedt", 2010 |
| + | *Steinbach on Mike Kelley" at Overduin and Kite, 2008 | ||
| + | *"Mike Kelley's Proposal for the Decoration of an Island of Conference Rooms (with Copy Room) for an Advertising Agency Designed by Frank Gehry", 1992, Public Art | ||
| + | *"Heidi", 1992, Video (in collaboration with [[Paul McCarthy]]) | ||
| *"Pay for Your Pleasure", 1988, Installation | *"Pay for Your Pleasure", 1988, Installation | ||
| - | *"Heidi", 1992, Video (in collaboration with [[Paul McCarthy]]) | + | *"Half-a-Man", 1987–91, Series of objects, drawings and installations |
| - | *"Mike Kelley's Proposal for the Decoration of an Island of Conference Rooms (with Copy Room) for an Advertising Agency Designed by Frank Gehry", 1992, Public Art | + | |
| + | == Contributions == | ||
| + | 2008 ''Life on Mars,'' the 2008 ''Carnegie International'' | ||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[The Uncanny (Mike Kelley)]] | ||
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Michael "Mike" Kelley (October 27, 1954 – January 31, 2012 or February 1, 2012) was an American artist. His work involved found objects, stuffed animals, textile banners, drawings, assemblage, collage, performance and video. He often worked collaboratively and had produced projects with artists Paul McCarthy, Tony Oursler and John Miller. His oeuvre is often discussed by critics as engaging with the concept of abjection.
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Life and work
Kelley was born in Wayne, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit in 1954. In his early years he was involved with the city's music scene which spawned bands such as Iggy and the Stooges, Kelley was a member of the noise band Destroy All Monsters. In 1976 Kelley graduated from the University of Michigan. He moved to Los Angeles in 1978 and attended the California Institute of the Arts, where he admired the work of his teachers John Baldessari, Laurie Anderson, David Askevold and Douglas Huebler. At that time he started to work on a series of projects in which he explored works with loose poetic themes, such as The Sublime, Monkey Island and Plato's Cave, Rothko's Chapel, Lincoln's Profile, using a variety of different media such as drawing, painting, sculpture, performance and writing. Kelley started to gain recognition outside Los Angeles in the mid-eighties with the sculptural objects and installations from the series Half-a-Man and has since exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide and participated in events such as Documenta 9. Sonic Youth featured his work on the cover and booklet of their 1992 record Dirty. The Whitney Museum in New York City held a major retrospective of his work in 1993.
In November 2005, Kelley staged Day is Done, filling Gagosian Gallery with funhouse-like multimedia installations, including automated furniture, as well as films of dream-like ceremonies inspired by high school year book photos of pageants, sports matches and theater productions. In December 2005, Village Voice art critic Jerry Saltz described "Day is Done" as a pioneering example of "clusterfuck aesthetics," the tendency towards overloaded multimedia environments in contemporary art.
Kelley was also in the band Poetics with fellow California Institute of the Arts students John Miller and Tony Oursler.
Kelley's work was inspired by diverse sources such as history, philosophy, politics, underground music, decorative arts and working-class artistic expression. His art often examined class and gender issues as well as issues of normality, criminality and perversion.
Kelley was found dead in an apparent suicide in 2012.
A selection of representative works
- "Mike Kelley at Skarstedt", 2010
- Steinbach on Mike Kelley" at Overduin and Kite, 2008
- "Mike Kelley's Proposal for the Decoration of an Island of Conference Rooms (with Copy Room) for an Advertising Agency Designed by Frank Gehry", 1992, Public Art
- "Heidi", 1992, Video (in collaboration with Paul McCarthy)
- "Pay for Your Pleasure", 1988, Installation
- "Half-a-Man", 1987–91, Series of objects, drawings and installations
Contributions
2008 Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International
See also
