Jeff Kellar

By exploring how far he can effectively reduce visual detritus, Kellar seeks to reveal the magnitude of basic compositional elements, to employ the power of simplicity to transform potentially subtle facets like shape, line, and color into the crux of the work. Kellar works in a mixture of resin, clay, and pigment. He applies multiple layers to each surface to build segments of color that range from bold to subtle, but invariably display a certain depth and intensity (not unlike frescoes). His paintings are on thin aluminum panels that float a half-inch from the wall, protruding into viewer space and emphasizing the objectness of the pieces. The resulting shadows around the panels situate them in space, while also describing the effects of gravity and light on their physicality. “They’re not so much a window on the world but a surface to hold illusion,” he says.