Mike Kelley, “Timeless Painting”

Originally from Detroit, L.A. artist Mike Kelley (1954–2012) was one of the true greats of recent American art, producing a provocative and multilayered output that commented upon popular culture, sex and religion. He imbued his approach with a savage wit born of the clash between his working-class background and an art-world, which he viewed as elitist, particularly in NYC. Although he employed a wide array of mediums—drawings, sculpture, performance, music, photography and video—this exhibition focuses on his engagement with painting, and its place within the larger scheme of his work, with a selection of pieces created during a 15-year period between 1994 and 2009.