The LA police has confirmed the death of the celebrated American artist Mike Kelley. He passed away in his house in South Pasadena, California at 57 years of age.

Kelley was taught at the California Institute of the Arts, by artists such as John Baldessari and Laurie Anderson. He has worked in different media such as drawing, painting, sculpture, performance and writing. His career took flight in the early nineties with solo shows at The Whitney, LACMA and other international venues.  In 1997 he also exhibited an installation at the infamous Dokumenta in Kassel. Three years later he started exhibiting with the Gagosian Gallery.

     
Mike Kelley, Estral Star, 1989            Mike Kelley & Paul McCarthy, 
                                                                    Secession, 1998

Although Kelley is known with the greater audience for his seemingly innocent monkey puppets, a lot of his work can actually be catagorised as abject art; imagery that is both repulsive and intruiguing, often considering body parts, bodily functions and/or excretions. Other well-known artists who have worked around this theme are Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois, Paul McCarthy and Gilbert & George.

Kelley is known mostly for his artwork, but he started his career in the Detroit music scene as a member of the noise band Destroy All Monsters. Throughout his life he kept composing music, in bands, creating soundtracks for some of his exhibitions, as a part of a Gesammtkunstwerk, but Kelley has also performed with fellow artists such as PaulMcCarthy. Also, Kelley has designed album covers for bands such as Sonic Youth.

Mike Kelley, Odalisque, 2010