James Kelsey (Sculptor)
Encyclopedia
James Edward Kelsey is an American
Abstract Expressionist
sculptor best known for creating large stainless steel
abstract curvilinear sculptures.
, Wisconsin
and moved to Renton, Washington
in 1965, where he spent his childhood until age 13. In 1977 his father was hired by Bell Helicopter and moved his family to Tehran, Iran
. James was first exposed to the concept of abstract art
while living in the Middle East and experiencing the abstract nature of Islamic art
.
His family left Iran in 1979 due to the onset of the Iranian revolution
.
James discovered his love of creating art in junior high school and experimented with photography, wood shop, ceramics, and a short course in metal casting. In high school he experienced the death of his father which culminated in him dropping out of school halfway through the 10th grade. He immediately attained his G.E.D. and married at 17 years old, a marriage which lasted 6 years.
At 18 years old, he became a firefighter in the United States Air Force
and was stationed in Aviano, Italy
. While living there, he explored much of the art and architecture of Northern Italy, Venice, and Pisa. This is also the first time he met men and women working as full-time artists both has painters and sculptors.
In 1987, he was honorably discharged from the Air Force. Instead of producing art, he enrolled at Big Bend Community College
in Moses Lake
, Washington to pursue his love of flying. He was awarded a commercial pilot license and continued on to Eastern Washington University
where he graduated with honors and a degree in Business and Interpersonal Communication.
After College, James moved back to Seattle
, Washington with his partner and soon-to-be wife, Misty Devin whom he had met in College and took a variety of jobs (divorced in 2006). In 1996 they moved to Everett
, Washington for his partner’s job and while there wrote his yet-unpublished novel, The Last Icon. In 1998 they again moved, this time to Bremerton
, Washington.
Upon arriving in Bremerton, James decided to finally ignore much of the advice he had heard throughout his life and pursue his love of art with the goal of making it a career. He enrolled in the welding program at Olympic College
. By the end of the two-year program, he had created four significant sculptures including “And He Offered the Moon To the Sky”, his first piece of public art which can currently be seen on the Olympic College campus.
While still taking classes, he secured a job with a local metal fabrication company as their sole welder and honed his skills while continuing his classes. Two years later, he quit his welding job to work for 3 years for a local stone sculptor, Will Robinson (Sculptor). There James served as the fabricator for Robinson’s bases and fountain basins as well as learning stone working skills. This was also Kelsey’s introduction to the business side of the art world as he accompanied Robinson to his galleries and installed sculptures in clients’ homes.
In 2002, James built his own studio on his property in Port Orchard
, Washington.
"Tsunami in Steel" (2009), is Kelsey’s first international sculpture. It is sited as a private / public collaboration between Am-Pri Homebuilders and the City of Richmond
, British Columbia
, Canada
. Inspired by the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Kelsey was unable to let the thoughts and images out of his mind. His mother lives along the Pacific Ocean and in creating this sculpture he was able to settle his mind and move on.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Abstract Expressionist
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
sculptor best known for creating large stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
abstract curvilinear sculptures.
Biography
James Edward Kelsey was born on November 15, 1964 in MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and moved to Renton, Washington
Renton, Washington
Renton is an Eastside edge city in King County, Washington, United States. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington. Founded in the 1860s, Renton became a supply town for the Newcastle coal fields...
in 1965, where he spent his childhood until age 13. In 1977 his father was hired by Bell Helicopter and moved his family to Tehran, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. James was first exposed to the concept of abstract art
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
while living in the Middle East and experiencing the abstract nature of Islamic art
Islamic art
Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
.
His family left Iran in 1979 due to the onset of the Iranian revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
.
James discovered his love of creating art in junior high school and experimented with photography, wood shop, ceramics, and a short course in metal casting. In high school he experienced the death of his father which culminated in him dropping out of school halfway through the 10th grade. He immediately attained his G.E.D. and married at 17 years old, a marriage which lasted 6 years.
At 18 years old, he became a firefighter in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and was stationed in Aviano, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. While living there, he explored much of the art and architecture of Northern Italy, Venice, and Pisa. This is also the first time he met men and women working as full-time artists both has painters and sculptors.
In 1987, he was honorably discharged from the Air Force. Instead of producing art, he enrolled at Big Bend Community College
Big Bend Community College
Big Bend Community College is a two-year college in Moses Lake, Washington. It offers several associate's degrees in academic and vocational fields.- History :...
in Moses Lake
Moses Lake, Washington
Moses Lake is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 20,366 as of the 2010 census. Moses Lake is the largest city in Grant County.-Background:...
, Washington to pursue his love of flying. He was awarded a commercial pilot license and continued on to Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
where he graduated with honors and a degree in Business and Interpersonal Communication.
After College, James moved back to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington with his partner and soon-to-be wife, Misty Devin whom he had met in College and took a variety of jobs (divorced in 2006). In 1996 they moved to Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, Washington for his partner’s job and while there wrote his yet-unpublished novel, The Last Icon. In 1998 they again moved, this time to Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
, Washington.
Upon arriving in Bremerton, James decided to finally ignore much of the advice he had heard throughout his life and pursue his love of art with the goal of making it a career. He enrolled in the welding program at Olympic College
Olympic College
Olympic College is an urban-based, but rural- and urban-serving, 2-year public institution in the state of Washington.Olympic College opened its doors as Olympic Junior College on September 5, 1946. The main building was located in Bremerton...
. By the end of the two-year program, he had created four significant sculptures including “And He Offered the Moon To the Sky”, his first piece of public art which can currently be seen on the Olympic College campus.
While still taking classes, he secured a job with a local metal fabrication company as their sole welder and honed his skills while continuing his classes. Two years later, he quit his welding job to work for 3 years for a local stone sculptor, Will Robinson (Sculptor). There James served as the fabricator for Robinson’s bases and fountain basins as well as learning stone working skills. This was also Kelsey’s introduction to the business side of the art world as he accompanied Robinson to his galleries and installed sculptures in clients’ homes.
In 2002, James built his own studio on his property in Port Orchard
Port Orchard, Washington
Port Orchard is a city in and the county seat of Kitsap County, Washington, United States. It is located 13 miles due west of West Seattle and connected to Seattle and Vashon Island via the Washington State Ferries run to Southworth...
, Washington.
Major works
"Memories in Blue" (executed in 2005-2006) is the primary sculpture in a memorial installation for the Tacoma Police Department. Also in this installation is "For All They Gave", a bronze and granite piece with the names, dates, and stories of each officer who died in the line of duty. Connecting these to sculptures is a 100-foot glass line titled, Thin Blue Line."Tsunami in Steel" (2009), is Kelsey’s first international sculpture. It is sited as a private / public collaboration between Am-Pri Homebuilders and the City of Richmond
Richmond, British Columbia
Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Inspired by the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Kelsey was unable to let the thoughts and images out of his mind. His mother lives along the Pacific Ocean and in creating this sculpture he was able to settle his mind and move on.