Ellsworth Kelly

So, the Cezanne exhibit was great. So was the champagne brunch at the museum, thanks Stacy! But one of the most interesting things for me was the artist Ellsworth Kelly who was displayed amidst the Cezanne pieces (with other artists as well, such as Jasper Johns). Kelly is said to be a minimalist, and I would say that's an understatement! Initially I was totally puzzled as to why his artwork would hang next to Cezanne's as being "influenced" by Cezanne's work. The most puzzling piece for me was "Bronze" which hung next to a Cezanne that featured a bridge with an archway beneath. The "Bronze" piece was very large, very bronze-colored (hence the name) and just looked like two soap bubbles that had merged together. I didn't get it. UNTIL I read the write-up hanging next to it. The shape of the piece mimicked the shape of the bridge's archway and the reflection in the water below it. If you placed a piece of tracing paper over Cezanne's painting and traced the bridge and the reflection, you'd have the shape of "Bronze". I thought the concept was very cool, even if I wasn't a real fan of the actual piece. There were a few more like that, and finding some appreciation in a piece of (very) minimalist work was exciting for me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellsworth_Kelly

There's a link on Kelly if you want to check him out!