Tablet #205 

Ellsworth Kelly created "Tablet #205" with collage and graphite. As an abstract work, it might seem detached from the world, but it reflects how Kelly saw the social function of art. Kelly made these "Tablet" pieces throughout his career. They are records of his encounters with the world around him, filtered through his artistic sensibility. We might see these forms and colors as purely aesthetic, but they also point to Kelly's engagement with the everyday. Made in the USA, they are shaped by the postwar American faith in progress. By elevating commonplace shapes and colors, Kelly democratizes art. He suggests that beauty and meaning are not confined to museums or galleries, but can be found in the world around us. Understanding Kelly's art requires us to consider the cultural and institutional context in which it was made. Art history is about researching the social conditions that shape artistic production.