Jay Kelly Art
American, b. 1961
"I’m not going to talk about my work." A cloud of defiance as thick as the smoke of his cigar wafts over him as he dabbles solder onto a tiny metal sculpture. He never had respect for conventions, rules… not even time. Just like his obsessively labored sculptures Jay Kelly seems to move fluently through centuries. Not agreeing on the now. His pieces tell a story of yearning for a time that never existed. Like props or artifacts from a world just beyond reach - that seem all too familiar but, then again, elude understanding. This small-scale work ranges from burdened to playful. From imposing to delicate. Alone, they stand tall and proud at all but 6 inches. Together the pieces form a unity, a tiny city of sorts. Created on a small folding table in NYC, these pieces feel influenced by their surroundings. With hints of old Americana, city brutality, grace, elegance, cast away curb-side items, industrial landscapes, busted tires and washed up buoys. "I like to refine my shapes over the years. I feel like I’m getting closer to the purest forms and shapes that turn me on," Kelly absentmindedly says about his work. "They have to have a certain weight," he continues, now filing at tiny metal flanges. "See… I’m a tinkerer… that’s what I do".
-Suzanne Levesque
Jay Kelly was born in 1961 and received his B.A. from Syracuse University in 1983. Originally a photorealist painter, Kelly shifted his focus towards abstraction in the late 1990s. Moving away from his remarkably rendered realist paintings, Kelly’s practice evolved into a completely anti-representational body of work. Calling to mind the work of Martin Puryear, Paul Klee, Alexander Calder, and Tim Burton, the work’s clean lines and minimal aesthetic also allude to 20th century modernist architecture and furniture.to
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A Way Of
By Jay Kelly
Located in Boston, MA
A Way Of is a unique collage on panel, created entirely from hand-torn vintage print materials. The coloration in the work is hand dyed to optimal archival specifications. The artist...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Archival Paper
$10,200
First Glimpse
By Jay Kelly
Located in Boston, MA
First Glimpse is a unique collage on panel, created entirely from hand-torn vintage print materials. The coloration in the work is hand dyed to optimal archival specifications. The a...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Archival Paper
$18,500
Poetry Of
By Jay Kelly
Located in Boston, MA
Poetry Of is a unique collage on panel, created entirely from hand-torn vintage print materials. The coloration in the work is hand dyed to optimal archival specifications. The artis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Archival Paper
$12,200
Rare Op Art Portable Recod Player with Flashing Multi-colored Lights
By Jay Kelly
Located in Buffalo, NY
WORKING Perfectly... visually stunning rare example of collectible audio history with a killer groovy design! AC powered "DeJay" brand portable monual record player in excellent co...
Category
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Fabric, Plastic, Wood
Of Lustre
By Jay Kelly
Located in Boston, MA
Of Lustre is a unique collage on panel, created entirely from hand-torn vintage print materials. The coloration in the work is hand dyed to optimal archival specifications. The artis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Archival Paper
$10,200
Untitled #243 Sculpture by Jay Kelly
By Jay Kelly
Located in Morton Grove, IL
Jay Kelly
Untitled #243 sculpture
Polychrome, wood and metal
10.25 x 2 x 2"
signed by artist
2010
Category
2010s Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Metal
$4,960 Sale Price
20% Off
Untitled # 1435
By Jay Kelly
Located in New York, NY
This is an Iris print in soft yellow and red tones. It is signed and numbered. The total edition size is 72 plus 18 APs.
"Calling to mind the work of Martin Puryear, Paul Klee, Alex...
Category
Early 2000s Abstract Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Inkjet
$1,120 Sale Price
20% Off
Infinitely
By Jay Kelly
Located in Boston, MA
"Infinitely" is a unique collage on panel, created entirely from hand-torn vintage print materials. The coloration in the work is hand dyed to optimal archival specifications. The ar...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Archival Paper
$16,800
New Dream
By Jay Kelly
Located in Boston, MA
New Dream is a unique collage on panel, created entirely from hand-torn vintage print materials. The coloration in the work is hand dyed to optimal archival specifications. The artis...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Art
Materials
Archival Paper
$12,200
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Jay Kelly art for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Jay Kelly art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of orange and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jay Kelly in digital print, inkjet print, metal and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Jay Kelly art, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Billy Criswell, Jean Richardson, and Richard Baker. Jay Kelly art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,800 and tops out at $6,200, while the average work can sell for $4,000.