Skip to main content

Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

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
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
1
1
1
7
216
119
90
83
1
Artist: Jay Kelly
Untitled #243 Sculpture by Jay Kelly
Untitled #243 Sculpture by Jay Kelly

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 Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Related Items
'Untitled Assemblage #S3-23', by John Wolfe, Mixed Media Abstract Sculpture
'Untitled Assemblage #S3-23', by John Wolfe, Mixed Media Abstract Sculpture

'Untitled Assemblage #S3-23', by John Wolfe, Mixed Media Abstract Sculpture

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

John Wolfe's Mixed Media Abstract Sculpture, "Untitled Assemblage #S 3-23" brings together wood, steel, ceramic elements, and acrylic paint. The warm colors of the wood and painted ceramic elements soften the feel of the rectilinear arrangement. The shallow depth of the work gives the sculpture a kind of "drawing" quality while the shadows it casts lend a more expansive feel. The heavy, dark wood base anchors all aspects of the work in place. This work is the perfect tabletop piece. It's large enough to command attention, but also subtle in its open framework arrangement. John Wolfe was born in Vernon...

Category

2010s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Surf 014 - Original Mixed Media Figurative Rock Sculpture For Table or Desk
Surf 014 - Original Mixed Media Figurative Rock Sculpture For Table or Desk

Surf 014 - Original Mixed Media Figurative Rock Sculpture For Table or Desk

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Kevin Perrault’s sculptural work exists at the intersection of permanence and play, blending monumentality with quiet intimacy. Working primarily in copper and stone, his figurative ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Copper

Visión Laberíntica I - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Sculpture, Iron
Visión Laberíntica I - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Sculpture, Iron

Visión Laberíntica I - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Sculpture, Iron

By Lukas Ulmi

Located in Barcelona, Catalonia

Lukas Ulmi’s work unveils the hidden beauty of shapes taking stones, seemingly static forms, incomplete or meaningless objects and turning them into authent...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Iron

Linda Stein, Knight of Tomorrow 542 - Contemporary Metal Stone Wood Sculpture
Linda Stein, Knight of Tomorrow 542 - Contemporary Metal Stone Wood Sculpture

Linda Stein, Knight of Tomorrow 542 - Contemporary Metal Stone Wood Sculpture

Located in New York, NY

Linda Stein, Knight of Tomorrow 542 - Contemporary Metal Stone Wood Sculpture Linda Stein started her Knights of Protection series after she was forced to evacuate her New York downtown studio for a year post-9/11. Stein’s Knights function both as defenders in battle and symbols of pacifism. The series references popular and religious icons such as Wonder Woman, Princess Mononoke...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Metal

Viga 1 by Tom Price - Abstract sculpture, wood, resin, synthetic, mineral, life
Viga 1 by Tom Price - Abstract sculpture, wood, resin, synthetic, mineral, life

Viga 1 by Tom Price - Abstract sculpture, wood, resin, synthetic, mineral, life

By Tom Price

Located in Paris, FR

Viga 1 is a sculpture by contemporary artist Tom Price. This sculpture is made of resin, tar, steel, wood, dimensions are 233 × 45 × 45 cm (91.7 × 17.7 × 17.7 in). The indicated dime...

Category

2010s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Steel

Linda Stein, Knight of Healing 615 - Contemporary Art Bronze Sculpture Edition
Linda Stein, Knight of Healing 615 - Contemporary Art Bronze Sculpture Edition

Linda Stein, Knight of Healing 615 - Contemporary Art Bronze Sculpture Edition

Located in New York, NY

Knight of Healing 615 from Linda Stein’s Knights of Protection series functions both as a defender in battle and a symbol of pacifism. This sculpture is made of bronze, has a pedest...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Concrete, Bronze

Linda Stein, Brought/Left Behind 856 - Contemporary Art Mixed Media Sculpture
Linda Stein, Brought/Left Behind 856 - Contemporary Art Mixed Media Sculpture

Linda Stein, Brought/Left Behind 856 - Contemporary Art Mixed Media Sculpture

Located in New York, NY

This work from Linda Stein's Displacement From Home series draws from the tradition of wunderkammer/cabinets of curiosities to highlight the global displacement and traumatic memory ...

Category

2010s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

"Queen" African American Female Portrait, Rich Browns & Lavenders, Sculptural
"Queen" African American Female Portrait, Rich Browns & Lavenders, Sculptural

"Queen" African American Female Portrait, Rich Browns & Lavenders, Sculptural

By Henry Heading

Located in Detroit, MI

“Queen” is a stunning iconic portrait of a young woman coming into the full flower of her beauty and developing power. She is set in a sculptural scene of softly rounded forms surrounded by blues, pinks and lavenders along with flowers and a small hummingbird. There is a quiet power and energy in the young woman as she appears to be on the verge of movement. That she is visually beautiful is actually beside the point for Henry has managed to capture in paint the inner beauty flowing from her presence. Henry says that, “Painting is like breathing for me. I do so daily and appreciate my gift and ability. Perfection drives me as I create each piece. It must be unique. It must stand out, and is not complete until that special quality is achieved in my eyes.” Being able to create is an essential part of my life. It is an extension of my innermost thoughts and imagination. My primary focus of art is realism--using oils and acrylics. Occasionally, I switch mediums and design and build three dimensional pieces. Working mixed mediums, I use various wood, metal and paint, thus allowing me to achieve the visual effects I am looking for. Many of my pieces have been derived from my attraction to Art Deco and Ethnic designs. I am not satisfied until each piece, regardless of the medium or size, has reached the highest possible level of aesthetic quality and craftsmanship I can give it. I have enjoyed creating art since childhood. While a student at Martin Luther King Jr. high school in Detroit, I created and presented a portrait to then Mayor Coleman A. Young. A scholarship from Center for Creative Studies now the College for Creative Studies afforded me the opportunity to work towards and receive a BA in Fine Arts. Faculty and graduates of CCS include Richard Jerzy, Harry Bertoia, Doug Chaing (currently director of Lucas Film), Stephen Dinehart (game maker, writer, designer connected with The David Lynch Foundation), Tyree Guyton (international artist), Herb Babcock, Jerome Feretti, Kevin Siembieda (writer, designer and publisher of role-playing games), Renee Radell, Philip Pearlstein, Charles McGee (nationally recognized African American sculptor of animal and dancing spirits), Philip Pearlstein (2000 Honorary Doctorate, Modern Realism style), John Louis Krieger (American Modern), William Girard (American Modern), and Charles Culver. Mr. Heading understands the joy found in art and how it affects a young person's heart. He has shared his love for art as a mentor/teacher at the Virgil L. Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. Students not only grew in their art experience, but also exhibited at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Winning the 2013 MI Great Artist Competition was an honor for Mr. Heading. He is thankful to Park West Gallery owner Albert Scaglione and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson for the opportunity. Mr. Heading has been featured on ASPIRE TV, shows at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the National Conference of Artists and other numerous galleries. In addition, he is a book illustrator. His murals create a beautiful focal point and conversation piece on the walls of homes, churches and health care facilities. His art and furniture is enjoyed and treasured by collectors across the United States and Canada. Kohei Suzuki, the former Mayor of Toyota City, Japan has a box designed by Henry. His first attempt at mosaic tile was creating a Tiger sculpture to benefit the Detroit Tigers...

Category

2010s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Gold Leaf

Lil' mama
Lil' mama

Anastasia PeliasLil' mama, 2019

$70,000

H 49 in W 50 in D 11.5 in

Lil' mama

By Anastasia Pelias

Located in New Orleans, LA

ANASTASIA PELIAS was born in New Orleans, LA to Greek parents. Her artistic practice is rooted in the dual cultural identity of both her native and ancestral roots in New Orleans, LA...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Concrete, Limestone, Metal

Linda Stein, Knight of the Lock 554 - Contemporary Mixed Media Metal Sculpture
Linda Stein, Knight of the Lock 554 - Contemporary Mixed Media Metal Sculpture

Linda Stein, Knight of the Lock 554 - Contemporary Mixed Media Metal Sculpture

Located in New York, NY

Knight of the Lock 554 from Linda Stein’s Knights of Protection series functions both as a defender in battle and a symbol of pacifism. This sculpture is made of wood, metal, stone ...

Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Jay Kelly Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Stone, Metal

Jay Kelly abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Jay Kelly abstract sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Jay Kelly in metal, wood 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 abstract sculptures, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Joe Wheaton, Kevin Box, and Joel Urruty. Jay Kelly abstract sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $6,200 and tops out at $6,200, while the average work can sell for $6,200.