By: Izabella Hotz and Destiny Cannon
March 3, 2020
On Sunday, Sean Jason Kelley, a self-taught local artist, presented his work at the Heights Art Gallery. Kelley has worked on various projects around the Cleveland area and works out of his studio barn (in Cleveland) built in the 1890s.
He has created sculptures for the Melt Bar and Grill headquarters, designed furniture for Friends of the Cleveland Kennel, and collaborated on community projects in Slavic Village, Collinwood, and the St. Clair/Superior neighborhoods.
Kelley believes that “…art is a necessity that should be offered and available to all.”
Kelley has also been active in other art forms such as working as a tattoo artist in not only Ohio but California as well for over 15 years. His approach to this work was heavily influenced by his years as a tattoo artist.
There were many other artists’ work showcased in the gallery in the Point-Line-Pattern-Plane, a collection of textile art pieces. This collection was curated by 2019 Cleveland Arts Prize winner Janice Lessman and featured Laurie Addis, Hildur Asgeirsdottir-Jonsson, Elena Brebenel, Rebecca Cross, Si-Yun Chang, Andrea Myers, Jessica Pinsky, and Katlin Shae.
The aim of this collection was to showcase the medium of fibers in vast contrast to the mixed media of Kelley. Lessman’s goal was to explore how artists use the language of textiles to create objects of beauty and meaning.
Many of these works were based upon poems and nature, which was quite different from Kelley’s inspiration. In his artist statement about the collection, he said, “The animals have been rescued, adopted, and accepted as family. These thoughtful, sensitive hybrid beings are transformed from unknown, awkward creatures to lovable, family members. These creatures are exposed and transparent revealing their vulnerability with nothing to hide.”
Both collections are a mixture of bouncy and fun features as well as beautiful, thought-provoking ideas. This gallery was small, but the messages were wonderful, and we definitely recommend taking a tour.
The Point-Line-Pattern-Plane collection closed on March 1, but the spotlight on Kelley’s work will be open through March 15.
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 