Until Mar. 4, 2012, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) will be hosting "Ellsworth Kelly: Wood Sculpture." Kelly, an American artist who is also well−renowned for his paintings, drawings and prints, has made 30 wood sculptures from 1958 to 1996. His inspiration comes from "investigating how things look" and his ability to see everything as "a jumble of shapes and colors."
The pieces on display at the MFA are meant to enigmatically evoke the human figure and elements of nature as they explore color, line and form. Kelly's works are aesthetically pleasing but overall uninspired, uncreative and uninteresting.
In "Curve XXXVIII" (1984), Kelly displays a freestanding, rectangular piece of maple wood. The sculpture is tall and totemic, but its only impressive qualities are its height and smoothness. It is difficult to see any suggestion of the human figure or elements of nature in this work. Instead, the piece is simply a treated, stained piece of wood that looks like a lost piece of IKEA build−it−yourself furniture.
"Curve XXXVI" (1984), built out of wenge wood, is of a less commanding height than "XXXVIII." The wood is rich and dark, which makes the piece stand out among the mostly light−wood sculptures in the exhibit. It is a dull rectangular shape with a slight curve on one of its sides that a viewer needs to really look for. Exhibit−goers will have difficulty finding some sort of inspiration in the shadow "XXXVI" casts.
Kelly uses a beautiful piece of padauk wood in "Untitled" (1984). The padauk has a lovely mix of dark and light shades, and this sculpture is slightly different from the rest in that it has a greater width. It is also, with its stained and sanded surface, devoid of any evocation of nature. "Untitled" would make a charming tabletop in a ski lodge somewhere.
"Palm Relief" (1958), is one of the more unique sculptures in the exhibit, as its distinct title suggests in contrast with the titles of the aforementioned pieces. The oak from which it is made is a beautiful reddish brown and sculpted into a square block with an irregular decagonal shape in the middle. It is still generally unimaginative, but it provides more of a connection with nature through its irregular shape — rather than Kelly's usual rectangular slabs of wood.
"Curve XXI" (1980) is a massive piece of birch in the shape of a fan. It is one of the more creative shapes dotting the room, but is still out of touch with the nature and humanity the exhibit is supposed to channel. Its placement on a white wall by itself suggests that it should be awe−inspiring, but it ultimately yields little from the observer. "XXI's" size does not overpower its blandness.
The sapele wood of "Curve XLIII" (1984) has gorgeous dark and light shades, but it is the same rectangular shape standing erect in almost every other sculpture of Kelly's on display at the MFA. If one looks hard at the sculpture, he or she may see a person with unnaturally good posture and striking thinness. Yet, another might simply see a luxurious countertop at an overpriced restaurant.
The rooms of "Ellsworth Kelly: Wood Sculpture" feel lifeless and colorless in contrast with the other rooms of the MFA. The exhibit is undeniably pristine and provides a feeling of cleanliness — rather, sterility — that is comforting if you are looking to escape a messy dorm room.
Kelly's hackneyed explanation — that his sculptures facilitate connection with nature — seems pretentious and presumptuous upon seeing his very industrial−looking artworks. I would not suggest making this your primary destination at the MFA if you are planning on going there anytime soon.
