Kelly Fearing (1918 - 2011) was a distinguished artist and educator who was instrumental in introducing modern art to Texas. Fearing was a member of the “Fort Worth Circle”, a group of influential artists active between 1945 and 1955 who studied the early modernist works and encouraged imaginative artistic experimentation. During this time he experimented with intaglio printmaking, though he was unable to fully edition his plates because of the unavailability of printmaking papers during WWII. In the 1980’s he started the process of completing the editions of his prints. He visited Flatbed many times between 1993 and 2008 to continue this pursuit and create new works. 

“Angel in Passage Among Leaves and Twigs and Falling Sky Pieces” was created in 1996 and is a polymer gravure with chine collé using special green Kitakata paper. It depicts a surreal scene of a winged angel with a human-like head and otherworldly body. This large figure takes up most of the image, but the body itself doesn’t stand out sharply against its surroundings and blends into the organic mass around it. The composition along with the gestural quality of the drawing gives the print an energetic atmosphere, which is contrasted against the contemplative expression of the angel and the solid weight of its body. The expressive quality of the drawing depicting a fantastical humanoid creature can be compared to similar prints and illustrations by fellow Surrealist Max Ernst and early twentieth-century German Expressionist art. This print is an example of Fearing’s impressive ability to combine a serious, contemplative tone with whimsical, Surrealist imagery.

Kelly Fearing 
“Angel in Passage Among Leaves and Twigs and Falling Sky Pieces”
1996
Polymer gravure with chine collé
Image size: 16 x 12 in
Paper size: 25 x 19.5 in

Isabel Burnette, 2023