[France]: [self-published], 1965, 8,8×14 cm. Original collage artwork.
The wildly overlooked Kelly’s collaged postcards constitute an intriguing part of his oeuvre. They were mailed or given to friends and associates, while a large number was kept private at Kelly’s studio. This card – out of a set of two available [previous post] – was given to Michel Seuphor, a close friend, supporter and advocate of Kelly’s work since the late 1940s. Kelly, spent much of the spring and summer of 1965, following [?] his shows of lithographs at Galerie Maeght that year, travelling through France – mostly the west coast – before crossing to Switzerland for a group show at Kunsthalle Bern. It is highly probable that Seuphor joined him for part of this trip. In any case, the two postcards in question were picked up during these trips, in the easternmost part of France bordering Switzerland.
In this collage Kelly uses quite heterogenous original material, ripping rough shapes of pure visual information. He then engages in a play of hiding and revealing, playfully managing negative space as musical silence. This is an iconic collage of his, full of subtleties and underscored by an idiosyncratic sense of humour.
Signed by Ellsworth Kelly and dedicated to Michel Seuphor.
condition: Excellent
