Some artists don’t have to dig too deep to find inspiration — A beautiful sunset, a sailing ship or a field of wildflowers might be all it takes. Artist Heather Ryan Kelley, on the other hand, has been known to delve into more obscure subjects and produce whole bodies of work as she immerses herself in them.

The retired McNeese State University art professor’s current exhibit, “Surface and Support” at Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art is a case in point. All 36 pieces in the show are a result of her exploration of a short-lived art movement that originated in the south of France and lasted from 1966-1972.

“I knew about this art movement, but was inspired to explore it further when I read a brilliant essay about it by Rapheal Rubenstien,” she said.

Artists in this group focused on the elements of painting that are generally invisible and taken for granted — things like the canvas fabric and wooden stretcher components to which the canvas is attached.

Kelley took the Surface/Support movement as a point of departure as she approached each new piece in this new body of work.

“The abstractions have no predetermined result. They are experiments, starting with uncertainty and freedom. A personal reexamination of painting is the intention behind the series,” said Kelley.

In three of the pieces,
“Hat Rack,” “Veil” and “Reminder,” Kelley explores the concept of functional art.

“I was exploring how a piece could be a combination of craft, fine art and decorative art,” she said.

For instance “Veil” has a horizontal rod at the bottom and could double as a towel rack. “Hat Rack” has a tiny metal hand with an extended pointing index finger attached to the art board on which one could hang a hat or cap. “Reminder” incorporates magnets and could double as a kind of memo board.

Some of the new works were painted on top of old works that Kelley never considered successful.

“So I had no qualms about re-purposing them,” she said.

One older painting was of a pitcher. The pitcher is no longer visible in the new work, but the piece is titled “Hidden Pitcher,” paying homage in a playful way to the original work that is now covered up.

Many works incorporate found objects. In “Scrim,” viewers will see part of a tarpaulin Kelley picked up after the 2020 hurricanes.

Kelley’s whimsical nature shines through even in the presentation of the exhibit. While most pieces are at eye level, as one might expect, two are quite a bit higher on the wall above the heads of viewers because Kelley wanted to incorporate “a little quirkiness” into the show.

See photos of the installation and pieces at heatherryankelley.com.

Other artists currently exhibiting at the Baton Rouge Gallery are Rob Lamb Carpenter, Amy James and Paul Dean. All four exhibits continue through August 31.

Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art is located at 1515 Dalrymple Drive in Baton Rouge. Hours are Tuesday – Sunday, noon – 6 p.m. Admission is free.

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Online: heatherryankelley.com, batonrougegallery.org