Detroit born artist Mike Kelley died today at age 57. Kelley is one of the most influential performance/installation artists of our era. He created a truly messy human sexy type of dada surrealism.
As Times art critic Christopher Knight wrote in 1994, "Kelley is an avatar of the power and humanity inherent in recognizing the radical impurity of human experience. His art searches out dark and soiled places where defects, fault lines and inadequacies are obvious and routine, and where failure takes on the poignant, fragile, even heartbreaking beauty that accompanies any loss of self."
Kelley, while a student and member of the Ann Arbor Art Community founded the performance art band Destroy All Monsters with Painter Niagra on vocals and the formidable Asheton Brothers on guitar and drums.
He was considered one of the most important LA based artists in recent years.
I cannot arrange to have his ashes spread in Bryce Canyon, but here is a live recording of the MC5 playing Starship.
No comments:
Post a Comment