23 Facts About Paul Kelpe

Paul Kelpe was a German-born American abstract painter.

Paul Kelpe's constructions integrating found objects into paintings were the first such works created in the United States and he painted two of the five Williamsburg murals, the first abstract murals in the United States.

Paul Kelpe was a pioneer of American abstract art, including his work in Chicago during a period in which abstracts were not well accepted or appreciated.

Paul Kelpe was born in Minden, Germany on January 15,1902.

Paul Kelpe became familiar with prominent European modernist movements of the time such as Suprematism and Constructivism.

Schwitters in particular proved to be a major influence, but Paul Kelpe, eschewing what he viewed as Schwitters' disorderly style, created neater works, meticulously painting geometric shapes without noticeable brushstrokes.

Paul Kelpe said that his parents were not pleased with these abstractions, and they sent him to the United States, hoping that might help to set him on the correct artistic path.

Paul Kelpe left Germany for the United States in 1925, staying in New Jersey and New York City.

Paul Kelpe was the first artist to create such combine paintings in the United States.

Paul Kelpe's constructions "show a keen formal understanding and playful wit".

Paul Kelpe was seen as a bit of an anomaly because of his commitment to abstract art while the Chicago art scene was still firmly centered on Realism.

Paul Kelpe was the only abstract artist covered in a 1932 book detailing modern art in Chicago.

Paul Kelpe began work in 1934 painting murals for the Chicago branch of the Public Works of Art Project.

Paul Kelpe depicted the American factory as "a Bauhaus-inspired arrangement of geometric machinery".

Paul Kelpe created a representational American scene mural for the Southern Illinois University library, History of Southern Illinois, depicting the area's industrial, agricultural, and commercial history.

Paul Kelpe was one of the founders of the American Abstract Artists, and he was the secretary of the organization from 1936 to 1939, and its treasurer from 1939 to 1940.

Paul Kelpe was an active participant in their exhibitions, but was a controversial member.

Paul Kelpe's resignation was requested because they felt that his paintings which included representational elements with perspectival depth were not abstract enough.

Paul Kelpe resumed his academic education, studying art history at the University of Chicago.

Paul Kelpe earned a master's degree in 1948 and a doctorate in 1957.

Paul Kelpe later became a professor, teaching art and art history for many years at various colleges and universities.

Paul Kelpe experienced financial hardship in the 1950s, writing that his circumstances were hopeless, and that he couldn't afford to both pay the rent and purchase food.

Paul Kelpe has been referred to as "one of the key figures of Constructivist abstraction in America".