On view

American, 1923–2015
Untitled, 1996
Stainless steel
15 ft. 11 1/2 in. x 45 1/2 in. x 23 1/2 in. (486.4 x 115.6 x 59.7 cm)
Private collection
Photo by Jeffrey Jenkins
Untitled (1996) belongs to what Kelly referred to as his “totem” series, which he realized in a wide variety of materials and shapes. It is composed of two pieces of stainless steel at a right angle. Kelly said, “I have wanted to free shape from its ground, and then work the shape so that it has a definite relationship to the space around it.” The landscape of upstate New York was meaningful for Kelly, who moved to Columbia County in 1970 after establishing his career in Paris and New York City. With his move to the countryside, Kelly began to develop large-scale sculptures outdoors in response to his natural surroundings.