Ellsworth Kelly, born in 1923 in Newburgh, New York, was a devoted nature enthusiast who spent most of his time alone, frequently observing insects and other avian species.
Kelly has stated that he discovered the elements he wanted to avoid in his paintings by assimilating the techniques of several art styles and creators.
Kelly's artistic approach, focusing on the material world as potential art, facilitated the translation of abstract shapes, colours, and compositions into his artwork.
Kelly's artwork significantly influenced Donald Sultan's graphic design, having a lasting impact on subsequent generations and the profession post-WWII.
Ellsworth Kelly's influential theories in the late 1940s and 1950s significantly influenced abstract painting, introducing multi-panel and one-colour paintings, holistic frameworks, and repetition in the 1960s movement.