On February 1st, artist and musician Mike Kelley was found dead in his home of apparent suicide, according to Pitchfork. At the age of 57, Kelley had impacted both the world of visual art and music. He worked with textile banners, drawings, assemblage, collage, performance, and video.
Born in Detroit in 1954, Kelley got involved in the city’s music scene. He then went on to study at the University of Michigan and the California Institute of the Arts. Through his art, Kelley explored social issues related to gender, class, and normality.
In his early years, Kelley founded the proto-punk band Destroy All Monsters, which attracted a large fan base with its performance art. In 1992, Kelley created the artwork for Sonic Youth’s album Dirty. During the 90s, his art career was very successful and he showed his artwork in galleries around the world.
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