Oli Kellett: Fountains

28 Mar-17 May 2025

Overview

Following the success of Cross Road Blues (2016–2020) which captured still moments of people waiting at crossroads, Kellett continues his exploration of the urban environment with his latest series, Fountains.

In Fountains, Kellett shifts his focus from wide cityscapes to the delicate, often unseen beauty of tiny water droplets propelled into the air by the fountains of Trafalgar Square in London. Having travelled the world for Cross Road Blues, the artist now finds inspiration much closer to home—just steps away from his beloved National Gallery.

Using a telephoto lens and capturing these very fine water droplets suspended in the air, Kellett looks through a translucent veil, creating painterly, almost ethereal compositions. He embraces an element of chance, surrendering control to the atmospheric forces of wind, light, and weather. This approach reflects his broader artistic philosophy—the search for the universal in the everyday.

As with much of his work, Kellett was specifically drawn to images which evoke art historical references. The fragmented droplets echo the pointillist technique of Seurat, while other works recall paintings by Courbet, Auerbach or the dreamlike qualities of masters such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Whistler.

Artists