Popular American artist Mike Kelley, known for his daring and contemporary work, was found dead at his residence on January 31, 2012. The police announced the death of the artist on Wednesday and said that it appeared he had committed suicide. The information of the death of Kelley was broken by South Pasadena Police Sgt. Robert BartI, but refused to provide more information on the death. The artist was 57 and an autopsy is due.
The death of the artist has brought a tragic end to both pop culture kitsch and punk rock rebelliousness. Kelley was known for his work with sculptors and unorthodox subjects and also his solo exhibit ‘Catholic Tastes’ at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York which provocatively combined dolls, drawings as well as other objects which helped him get established as a major figure in the field of art.
Stephanie Barron, senior curator of modern art at Los Angeles County Museum of Art said that his work was widely collected and exhibited internationally. Barron added that Mike had a wide appetite of all kinds of art, was enormously curious and worked incredibly at his craft. Kelley was never afraid of experimentation and was never afraid of thinking big.
The cops said that the authorities went to Kelley’s home on January 31, after a concerned family friend went to the residence and called 911. The friend informed the officers that he was depressed in recent times after he broke up with his girlfriend, but no note was found by the cops. The work of the artist will be included at the upcoming 2012 Whitney biennial in New York.
Kelley’s solo work also included ‘The Uncanny’ in the year 2004 and ‘Profondeurs Vertes’ in the year 2006 in Paris. During his career the artist also collaborated with many of the noteworthy artists.
