Mayhem 1974

Ken Kelly painted "Mayhem" some time in the late 20th or early 21st century, using oils, and tapping into a rich tradition of fantasy art. Kelly was associated with the heavy metal music scene and the fantasy art subculture that took hold in the USA in the 1960s and 70s. His images were used as album covers for bands like Manowar, and helped construct the visual identity of this global musical movement. The painting recalls the covers of pulp magazines such as 'Weird Tales', and the tradition of the 'heroic fantasy' novel as developed by writers like Robert E. Howard and Michael Moorcock. Such art often challenged the status quo in visual culture. Its themes, centered on myth and magic, served to critique the arid, functional, and oppressive aspects of modern industrial society. To understand this painting more fully, research into the institutions that supported Kelly and his contemporaries is essential: the publishers, the galleries, and the musical organizations that provided patronage and a venue for self-expression. We can see that art like this helped create new social spaces and alternative forms of cultural production.