Tablet #65 1969

Ellsworth Kelly made Tablet #65 with collage on paper, but when? It's almost impossible to pin down the exact moment of creation, and that’s part of what makes it so interesting. The newspaper images of sails and bridges are like relics of a bygone era. There’s something about the collage that highlights the physical nature of artmaking. The textures are visible. The process isn’t hidden. It's like you can see Kelly’s thought process. The tears around the edge of the paper, for instance, they introduce an element of chance and imperfection. You can see how he layered the images on top of one another. This work reminds me of Kurt Schwitters, but the collage here isn't as chaotic, Kelly is much more minimal. Ultimately, art embraces ambiguity. It’s about the questions it provokes, the feelings it stirs, and the conversations it sparks.