Tablet #34 

Ellsworth Kelly created Tablet #34 from cut and pasted paper. It is one of a series of collages done during his time in France, which ended in 1954. The “Tablet” series sees Kelly questioning the conventional way of making art. This was a period of cultural reconstruction in France, and Kelly’s approach to art was part of this movement, reacting against pre-war artistic traditions. His use of found materials is particularly noteworthy. He takes scraps of paper – some are maps, others packaging – and arranges them on a blank surface. Note how the simple geometric shapes and the use of existing imagery challenge the idea of the artist as someone who creates from scratch. Instead, Kelly positions himself as a collector and curator of everyday ephemera. As art historians, we can learn much more about this by looking at exhibition catalogues from the period, and reading Kelly’s own writing on his artistic process. Understanding the context in which it was made helps us to understand its significance.