Mike Kelley Research Paper

Mike Kelley was a famous conceptual artist from the late 20th century. Mike Kelley became famous for his counterculture aesthetic. He release work that was perceived as edgy or disturbing and as a result he received a reputation. In truth, Kelley was creating work that simply spoke true to his experience, the edginess or disturbing qualities were simply a by product, one he decided to lean into. In 1987 Kelley exhibited a piece that put him on the art world’s radar.
More Love Hours Than Could Ever be Repaid is a collection of handmade stuffed animals and blankets Kelley found assembled and sewn into the likeness of a tapestry. This work was the first piece of his Half a Man series, a collection of works that’s creation spans a decade. This

His childhood and relationship with his parents was a major part of the artist he grew to be. He spent most of his childhood alone. His parents worked working class jobs, his dad a janitor and his mom a cafeteria cook. They were strict catholics but from a young age Kelley was didn’t buy into religion. As stated before, Kelley had a very rebellious childhood. He often times chose to do things just for the point of upsetting his parents. He did things like wear dresses and paint his nail. His family was shocked and appalled by this. Largely, the nature of the decade Kelley grew up in and his birthplace had a huge effect on the way he saw things. The 1950s were a time of heavy conformity. By his formative years it was the 60s, a time that young people specifically worked to reject that intense conformity. It would be easy to believe his parents were stuck in a more traditional mindset. Kelley, being creative inclined and more open due to his young age, naturally rejected them. His interests in rebelion drew him to things of a similar nature. He fell deep into counterculture, specifically punk. In edition, at the time of his teen years Detroit was deep into change. The downfall of American industrialism was causing economic hardship and the civil rights movement was very active in the city. The chaos had a lasting effect on Kelley. All of these factors had a major influence on Kelley as an artist. It laid down roots for his interest in anti-aesthetic, as well as peak his interest in the alien