Xavier Kelley Emerges with a New Algorithim
Xavier Kelley -xraykelleyart@gmail.com
Hollaback to the Future
October 7th - mid November, at the Museum of Museums
For Immediate Release
The past three years have brought a great deal of change to our world and, by extension, to the way we go about our lives day to day, how we reflect on the stories of our past, and subsequently how we can look to the future. In that time Seattle-based artist Xavier Kelley has spent that time painting, or rather time-traveling to unearth the stories of the past in hopes to build blueprints for a bright tomorrow. Kelley will be showing works in the new iteration of Hollaback to the Future, an Afrofuturist exhibit at Museum of Museums running October 7th to mid-November. Kelley is known for his high-energy, kinetic pieces making powerful statements about the overlapping realities of his perspective.
Xavier Kelley’s abstract and saturated artistic style has evolved from a childhood practice of sketching graffiti in blackbooks with his cousin, transitioning to the canvas more heavily in 2019. Kelley likens his artistic practice to that of a music producer sampling records of various time periods and places to craft new soundscapes. Afrofuturism is a powerful theme in Kelley’s work as a primary creative focus for him is examining and reimagining historical lexicons and iconography. Time travel, quantum physics, and abstract scientific concepts are heavily researched, sampled, and referenced in Kelley’s creative process. The result is the construction of a greater narrative throughout his pieces, a deviation from the linear concept of time. By stepping into this perspective, Kelley hopes viewers are inspired to open their minds to varying interpretations of the human experience, unlocking potential for an emergent understanding of the future. The burgeoning of this multi-dimensional world that Kelley inhabits in his art has been catalyzed by a specific biological subject: The Jumper’s Foot. The Jumper’s Foot, present throughout Kelley’s work as a visual motif, represents the athletic form, technique, movement, and planning required for marginalized people to move up in contemporary society. Certain groups are not afforded the privilege to maneuver society flat-footed, metaphorically speaking. Marginalized people in contrast are kept on their toes, requiring the power and agility of the Jumper’s Foot to leap from low to high.
“From the pavement to the sky.”
Future (54’ x 60’) acrylic on canvas
Kelley is excited to display a small portion of the work he has been creating in the past months, this show is a wonderful opportunity for some of Kelley’s art to get out of the studio and “get some air”. He is excited to be showing some of the new techniques he has been incorporating into his work and revels in the opportunity to share his journey with an audience. Viewers should be ready for artifacts of the new algorithms of Hollaback to the Future, anecdotes of color and text, biological diagrams, illustrations of the micro and macrobiomes, and for Kelley to continue to create quality work daily, hold salons, debut collaborations, and participate in as many showings as he is able.
Xavier Kelley:
With paintings currently featured in local establishments and galleries, Xavier is an up and coming artist in the Seattle scene. He is looking to expand his network of collaborators, galleries, buyers, curators, and collectors. Kelley can be contacted at the email xraykelleyart@gmail.com for further inquiry, and is available on Instagram @xavierrkelley.
