Born in Newburgh, New York in 1923, Ellsworth Kelly is a major figure in American painting, sculpture and printmaking. Inspired by the simplicity of shadows or the space between two forms, he abstracts objects to concentrate on their shape. Kelly's careful marks are preserved through his unique method of printing. Adhering to his artistic principals of using decisive edges and lines, his lithographs are created with smooth paper that holds the ink on top, rather than absorbing it. He often uses transfer paper, allowing the reverse image to be applied to the plate or stone. This frees his marks from the encumbered look that hesitation might bring to such simplified images. The lithograph is then printed as he first created it, retaining its original orientation. Kelly's prints and paintings are masterful examples of reality reduced to its elemental truth and beauty.

Kelly's works can be found in numerous public collections including: Centre Pompidou, Musée National d´Art Moderne, Paris, France; Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain; Museum Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Germany; Museum für Neue Kunst, Karlsruhe, Germany; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany; Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, New York; Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus Kunstbau, Munich, Germany; Tate Modern, London, England; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York.