The Great Fury 1990

Ken Kelly’s “The Great Fury” is a whirlwind of action rendered in oil paints. The artist conjures up a scene full of muscular bodies and intense emotion. I can imagine Kelly building up the layers, maybe starting with broad strokes of earthy greens and browns for the jungle background, then honing in on the furious gorilla and lions with precise details, their teeth bared, claws extended. Look at the way the light catches the gorilla's silver fur, the planes of its muscles defined with deft touches of shadow. The physicality of the medium is palpable – you can almost feel the thick paint, the textures of fur and flesh rendered with visceral intensity. It reminds me of Frazetta and those illustrators who capture dynamic movement and heroic struggle. There's a sense of theater to it all. The figures seem larger than life, their poses dramatic and exaggerated. Painting is a conversation. It allows us to interpret and reinterpret the world around us, engaging in a dialogue across time and space.