**Jay Kelly**

*First Glimpse*

Hand-torn vintage print collage and archival hand-dyed pigment on panel

54 x 54 in. (137.2 x 137.2 cm)

Unique original work

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In *First Glimpse*, Jay Kelly bridges mid-century editorial elegance with meticulous contemporary materiality. Measuring an imposing 54 by 54 inches, this monumental collage on panel is constructed entirely from thousands of fragments of hand-torn vintage ephemera—culled from mid-century fashion periodicals, art history monographs, and archival print media.

Kelly’s labor-intensive process unfolds over months of deliberate layering. Rather than relying on brushwork, the artist achieves volumetric depth, contour, and delicate flesh tones solely through the structural manipulation of found paper. Each torn scrap is individually selected and hand-dyed to optimal archival standards, ensuring long-term chromatic permanence while preserving the tactile history of the original printed source material.

The composition centers on an poised female figure captured in three-quarters profile. Her sculptural silhouette emerges from a muted, grid-like field of pale editorial excerpts and vintage advertisements—whispers of *Vogue*, *L’Officiel*, and haute couture photography. The figure’s pale bodice, built from delicate typography and pastel paper fractures, contrasts against the rich mosaic of her back and the vibrant, pleated vertical striations of her skirt. Fragments of narrative text, landscape photography, and saturated hues coalesce to delineate musculature, light, and shadow.

*First Glimpse* is an exploration of memory, haute couture, and recontextualization—transforming ephemeral print history into a singular, sculptural portrait of timeless poise.