"Playing with Fire 7" by Kelly O'Brien (2013)
Kelly O’Brien's work includes mixed media installations, smaller works of paper, and artist books. A classically trained dancer, she explores rhythm, flow, and movement through paper and other materials.
The essence of my work is to translate what I felt as a dancer into something material. I’m chasing a certain lightness and ethereality, while playing with the tension between control and letting go. How far can I push the materials before they no longer work? I’m fascinated with a delicacy that is enduring and strong. Paper is the perfect medium to explore this paradox.”
Text and content play important roles in O’Brien’s work, including her large-scale public installations. Her work has been exhibited nationally in the United States and Europe, and is in permanent public and private collections.