The Great Fury 1990

Ken Kelly made this painting, The Great Fury, with oils, and it feels like a glimpse into a wild dream. The paint is applied with a soft touch, blending the forms almost imperceptibly. Look at how the figures emerge from a background of warm, hazy browns and greens, as if they are forming right before our eyes. The muscular gorilla, almost silvery in the light, battles with lions amidst lush foliage. The painting seems to vibrate with energy. Notice the way the artist creates a sense of depth and movement. The gorilla is caught in mid-action, frozen in a perpetual state of combat. It reminds me a little of Frank Frazetta, especially in the muscularity of the figures, but Kelly has a smoothness to his brush strokes that is all his own. Ultimately, it is the process, the gesture, that matters, capturing a fleeting moment of conflict and raw power.