When artists become famous, some of their works receive more attention than others. Similar to the article that Jacklyn did about Indiana and his infamous artwork LOVE, the article I chose talks about Mike Kelley: his career recognition and creations. Written by Holland Cotter, This Show’s as Big as His Career shows an European artist’s work in a New York setting.
Despite Kelley’s success as an artist, becoming an artist wasn’t his original plan. Growing up in the suburbs of Detroit in 1954, Kelley aspired to become a writer; however, Kelley soon gave up on becoming a writer due to his lack of confidence. Although Kelley’s family did not approve of his choice, Kelley was able to pursue becoming an artist thanks to his willing personality. Kelley attended University of Michigan, Ann Arbor as his undergraduate school and attended California Institute of the Arts, Los Angeles County (CalArts) as his graduate school. The artworks Kelley created during his time at CalArts was one of his earliest works found.
Kelley’s artworks were influenced by his past and his refusal to authority. One concept that Kelley incorporated into many of his artworks is home. Home to Kelley was not just Detroit. In one of his artworks, “Educational Complex”, Kelley designed models of all of the schools he went to throughout his life. Home was also an utopia to Kelley. In his creation “Kandor Project”, Kelley sculpted a setting of Kryptonite city, Superman’s homeland. Unfortunately, this was one artwork that Kelley was unable to finish before his death.
Holland Cotter believes this presentation, 40,000 square feet, of Mike Kelley, which is held at MoMA PS1, is one that Kelley deserves due to his dedication to the arts. Before his unfortunate suicide last year, Kelley devoted thirty years out of his short 57 years to creating artworks of many different mediums portraying current themes. For example, some of the methods of art he used was performance, painting, sculpture, video, sound art, and writing.
The presentation of Kelley at MoMA PS1 was planned by Ann Goldstein and constructed by Connie Butler and Peter Eleey. The author mentions that he would have preferred if the show was at the MoMA, but also states how it made sense to place it there. MoMA PS1 will exhibit Mike Kelley until February 2.
Although artists such as Indiana and Kelley are getting recognized for their works after their deaths, I am glad that these artists are becoming discovered. However, does their death elevate the price placed on their artworks?
I’m kind of in shock because I thought the artist was still alive. When you mentioned his death, I was a little surprised, but then you clarified that he committed suicide and I was kind of taken aback. Many influential artists have taken their own lives, but their art only becomes recognized after their deaths–this could probably be because people recognize that the artists will not be creating anything any longer, somber as it seems.
That’s probably the reason the prices of art pieces go up after the deaths of the artists. Their art is limited at that point, and therefore becomes a rarity. It’s interesting, however, that MoMA is exhibiting Kelley’s works and devoting a lot of space to his artwork. Perhaps they will make more people aware of his work.
Well the suicide part was certainly a surprise. Didn’t see that coming. But to the question you put at the end of your piece, I think it can. It definitely did for Picasso, his pieces skyrocketed in value after his death. Still though, thats obviously not the case for every artist, you just don’t hear about the one’s whose death doesn’t make their art more valuable.
Wow, that’s a deep story. He killed himself without ever finishing his art piece? I believe an artist’s death will elevate the price placed on an art piece he or she made only because that’s how we humans react. There is no logical reasoning as to why the price goes up but it just does. It happened many times before as Nicholas pointed out with Picasso. An artist’s work is never fully recognized and valued until the artist himself dies.
That is sad how these famous artists cannot see their success since they passed away, but I would believe that because they can no longer produce any new works, Kelley and Indiana’s existing works become more valuable. It is really strange how he committed suicide before he could complete his last sculpture though.
It is really sad to know that he passed away before he could finish his last sculpture. There must have been many factors that prevented him from finishing. However, I find it strange how prices skyrocket after certain artists die. It makes sense that the artists are not there anymore to create more works of art but it’s unfair for the artists to get more recognition after they pass away, which shows how art has transformed from something highly valued back then to a field that is under appreciated today.