Ellsworth Kelly Exhibit at the Parrish Museum

A retrospective of Ellsworth Kelly’s (1923-2015) works is currently on view at the Parrish Museum in Water Mill, New York.

 

 The exhibit consists of works that Kelly created from the 1940s  to the 2010s. Looking at some of his early drawings, paintings and photographs, it’s easy to see how he came to paint and sculpt minimal shapes using minimal color.

 

 

The time that Kelly spent in the army during World War ll had a major impact on his work. He asked to be assigned to the 603rd Engineers Camouflage Battalion. The Ghost Army used camouflage and other tools of subterfuge during the war. Kelly was stationed in Europe for part of his stint and was able to view, and draw from, many of the great works he saw there.

 

After his military service, he had formal training at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and then at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. As his practice progressed, Kelly found his own style. “I had to go my own way,” he wrote. “I had the shapes: the curves and the triangles. What I needed to do was take the figure out.”

 

Kelly’s minimalist shapes and bold colors, in his paintings and sculptures, had a profound impact on the post-war art world. 

 

In 2012, Kelly was awarded the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal at the White House by President Barack Obama.

 

Ellsworth Kelly: Eight Decades will be on view at the Parrish Museum through July 19, 2026.

 

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Damien Hirst (b.1965) was recently commissioned to createda grotto on one of the Getty estates. Hirst encrusted the walls with 50 tons of amethyst and stained glass. 

 

He also designed a chapel for the estate of of hotelier Paddy McKillen in Aix-en-Provence. Hirst designed a bronze, 100-foot tall hand, pointing skyward. “I designed this arm as a sculpture,” Hirst said. “It was based on a hand holding a mobile phone. But it was a bit like Christ’s fingers. And then I thought, it’s like a spire. It was [McKillen’s] idea to put steps inside it so you could go up it.” 

 

Hirst has been a superstar, and a controversial figure, in the art world. He has also been an inspiration to many, including curator Nicolas Ballario in Milan. 

 

Here’s the story: Last month, Milan Design Week was celebrated with installations across the city. It coincided with the 40th anniversary of McDonald’s in Italy and the year that Damien Hirst began to create his Spot Paintings. Ballario linked those two events and created a massive ball pit, inspired by the Spot Paintings, with Hirst-inspired artwork on the walls. (There are now 720 McDonald’s franchises in Italy.)

 

Works that Hirst actually created are currently on view at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Seoul. Damien Hirst: Nothing Is True But Everything Is Possible is a retrospective of works that the artist has done over the last four decades. The works will be on exhibit through June 28, 2026.

 

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Please contact us if you would like more information about the works of Ellsworth Kelly and Damien Hirst available at VFA.

 

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 References:

Alfred Mac Adam. Ellsworth Kelly: Eight Decades. The Brooklyn Rail. May 2026.

Leigh Anne Miller. What Does Damien Hirst Have to Do With This Giant McDonald’s Ball Pit in Milan? ArtNews. April 28, 2026.

Tom Ravenscroft. McDonald's creates Damien Hirst-informed ball pit for Milan design week debut. Dezeen. April 24, 2026.

David Sanderson. Damien Hirst: Lucian Freud showed me I did my best work decades ago. The Times. January 2, 2026.

George Conger. Damien Hirst commissioned to build chapel for Aix-en-Provence estate. Anglican Link. March 7, 2024.

May 1, 2026