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Inspired by the world around him, the clean lines and bold colors of Ellsworth Kelly's art combines precision and geo--metric form with the deep understanding of composition. Discover Ellsworth Kelly signed prints & paintings for sale at Guy Hepner, Kelly dealers since 2003.
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Latest: Ellsworth Kelly Prints For Sale
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Works
Ellsworth Kelly
Black Green, 1970Lithograph23 1/4 x 19 in
59.1 x 48.3 cmEdition of 75Copyright The ArtistEllsworth Kelly’s Black Green, 1970, is a masterclass in minimalist precision and the expressive potential of pure form. The work presents a vertically oriented rectangular field divided exactly in half...Ellsworth Kelly’s Black Green, 1970, is a masterclass in minimalist precision and the expressive potential of pure form. The work presents a vertically oriented rectangular field divided exactly in half by a crisp horizontal line. The upper section is rendered in an impenetrable matte black, while the lower half radiates with a vivid, saturated green. The meeting point between the two is uncompromisingly sharp, emphasizing Kelly’s exacting sense of proportion and his devotion to clarity in composition.
In Black Green, Kelly distills painting down to its essential elements—color, shape, and spatial relationship—eliminating any trace of brushwork, texture, or representational imagery. This deliberate reduction is not an act of austerity but one of liberation. By stripping away the extraneous, Kelly allows the black and green to exist in their purest form, inviting the viewer to experience their interplay without narrative or symbolic distraction.
The chromatic contrast is immediate and striking. The black exudes density, stillness, and a sense of optical weight, while the green surges with vitality, evoking life, growth, and an almost electric brightness. Each color enhances the other: the green appears more luminous against the depth of the black, while the black becomes richer and more absorbing in the company of the green. This is a perfect demonstration of Kelly’s sensitivity to color relationships, where meaning and sensation arise from adjacency rather than depiction.
The geometry of Black Green heightens this sensory effect. The rectangular fields operate less as a “picture” and more as an object in space, asserting their physicality and commanding the viewer’s full visual attention. Kelly once remarked that his works should be seen for exactly what they are—color and form—rather than as vehicles for metaphor. Yet the human mind inevitably searches for association: some viewers might see a horizon, a division between earth and sky, or a distillation of landscape to its most primal terms. The work thus hovers between absolute abstraction and the faint whisper of reference.
Created in 1970, Black Green embodies the confidence of Kelly’s mature style, where each element is stripped to its essence and every decision is deliberate. It reflects his conviction that the simplest formal means can yield the most profound visual experiences. In its unyielding two-color structure, the piece transforms minimalism into an invitation for sustained contemplation, proving that with the right balance of form and color, even the quietest compositions can speak volumes.
For more information on Ellsworth Kelly Black Green, contact our galleries using the form below.
Overview"When I see a white piece of paper, I feel I've got to draw. And drawing, for me, is the beginning of everything."
Across Ellsworth Kelly’s art there is a deep understanding, appreciation and knowledge of color, shape and form. One of the most important Post-War artist’s, Ellsworth Kelly worked across prints, paintings, sculpture and installations developing a unique geo-metric and abstract style that placed emotion and color at its heart.
Throughout his career, Kelly explored the relationship between color, shape, and space, often creating works that blurred the boundaries between painting and sculpture. His use of bold, flat colors and geometric shapes became his signature style, earning him a reputation as one of the pioneers of minimalist art.
Within Ellsworth Kelly prints and paintings there is a sense of timeless in his bold use of shape and form and, of undeniably, his masterful use of color. Paired back and evocative, his works focus o form and space combing in a thoughtful, erudite manner which expresses deep emotion and an even deeper understanding spatial fields influenced by his nuanced knowledge and enjoyment of Pop art, Minimalism, hard-edge and color field painting. Across Kelly’s prints, available for sale at Guy Hepner, there is a sense of an artist who is deeply confident in stripping back, both visually and metaphorically, to allow [ure expression to abound across his works.
For over two decades Guy Hepner have sold Ellsworth Kelly prints and original artworks worldwide to our international network of private collectors and institutions. Located from our New York and London galleries, we help collectors to buy the very best Ellsowrth Kelly minimalist, bold and beautiful artworks.
For more information on our available Ellsworth Kelly prints for sale or to buy original Ellsworth Kelly paintings, contact info@guyhepner.comNews