Kelsey Brookes
Works
Overview
Throughout his career, Brookes has painted to explore the scientific concepts that make up the world, applying abstraction to the concrete and pushing the limits of reality. His vibrant, meticulously detailed paintings portray drug compounds, molecules, and atoms, and explore the cognitive and sensory activity that arises under altered or hallucinogenic states. In recent works, Brookes has been driven by symmetry and mathematic principles which govern nature. From this starting point, he studies both what it is about symmetry that attracts us and how its rules have been used to describe the behavior of particles and fields in the physical world. These meditative paintings contain an array of visual stimuli that first disorient and then organize around a perimeter of patterns and undulating lines.
Often characterized by the influence of his early years as a molecular biologist, Brookes explores how our environment fixes our attention and in response, builds paintings using those same principles. His work was featured as the cover art for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2012 “I’m With You” 7” records and The Flaming Lips’ 2013 “Stone Roses” LP. Brookes has teamed up with RVCA, VANS, and Insight 51, among others for numerous projects. KELSEY BROOKES: Psychedelic Space is the first monograph of the artist’s artwork and examines three years of work and four solo exhibitions. His work belongs in esteemed private collections, as well as the public permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the Frederick R. Weisman Foundation.
Artist Portrait: Lile Kvantaliani
Exhibitions
-
Kelsey Brookes | Gradient Paintings
Sep 6 - Oct 19, 2024 7722 GirardKelsey Brookes' Gradient Paintings comprises the artist’s latest series exploring new ways to reflect how the perception of art is underpinned by biological systems and chemical reactions occurring in nature...Read more -
Welcome
Nov 8 - Dec 9, 2023 7655 Girard, 7722 GirardARTISTS Adam Belt Kelsey Brookes Kenneth Capps Ethan Chan Gisela Colón Einar & Jamex De La Torre Anya Gallaccio Monique van Genderen Thomas Glassford Robert Irwin Gary Lang Jean Lowe...Read more -
Kelsey Brookes | Cosmic Symmetries
Feb 25 - Apr 8, 2023 7655 GirardQuint Gallery is pleased to announce Cosmic Symmetries , an exhibition of new paintings by Kelsey Brookes. An opening reception with the artist will take place on Saturday, February 25...Read more -
Quint Popup in Los Angeles
Feb 7 - 19, 2023This month, Quint Gallery is heading to Los Angeles. From February 7-19, we're popping up at the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Santa Monica, exhibiting a selection of paintings, drawings,...Read more -
BOUNTEOUS | A Group Exhibition
Mar 26 - May 21, 2022 7655 Girard, 7722 GirardBOUNTEOUS, a group show, will take over both La Jolla locations (7655/7722 Girard Avenue) from March 26 through May 21. The exhibition will be a vibrant conversation between many of...Read more -
A Large Group of Small Artworks at 7722 Girard Avenue
Dec 11, 2021 - Jan 15, 2022 7722 GirardTo close out our 40th year, Quint Gallery is using the 7722 Girard Avenue gallery to show a large grouping of small works, including painting, photography, drawing, and sculpture. Doors...Read more -
Kelsey Brookes
EVEN BIGGER, BRIGHTER AND BOLDER SEROTONIN, HAPPINESS AND SPIRITUAL STATES ACHIEVED THROUGH FIBONACCI, WAVEFORMS AND CAPSID SYMMETRIES BY WAY OF PERCEPTION AND HALLUCINATION May 22 - Jul 24, 2021 7655 GirardQuint Gallery is excited to announce a survey exhibition of selected works by San Diego-based artist Kelsey Brookes created over the last 12 years. The show will open to the...Read more -
Kelsey Brookes | Perception & Hallucination
Dec 7, 2019 - Jan 19, 2020Quint Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by Kelsey Brookes: PERCEPTION & HALLUCINATION . The exhibition opens on Saturday, December 7th with a public reception from...Read more -
Group Exhibition
Sep 21 - Nov 23, 2019ADAM BELT KELSEY BROOKES GENE DAVIS TOM DRISCOLL MANNY FARBER SPENCER FINCH THOMAS GLASSFORD KRISTJÁN GUDMUNDSSON GARY LANG JEAN LOWE KIM MACCONNEL RYAN MCGINNESS HELEN PASHGIANRead more -
Kelsey Brookes | Fibonacci, Waveforms and Capsid Symmetries
Sep 29 - Nov 10, 2018Quint Gallery is excited to introduce new work by San Diego based artist Kelsey Brookes, which includes free standing and wall sculpture dealing with viruses and the Fibonacci sequence. Brookes...Read more -
Distant Light
A Group Exhibition of Black and White Work Apr 7 - May 19, 2018Andrew Alcasid Michael James Armstrong Barry Bell Adam Belt Kelsey Brookes Gisela Colón Stephen P. Curry Kenneth Capps Mara De Luca Roman De Salvo Thomas Demello Peter Dreher Tom Driscoll...Read more -
Kelsey Brookes | Book Signing and Print Release Party
Quint Contemporary Art: 7547 Girard Avenue Sep 5 - 12, 2015Quint Gallery is pleased to present a new print series and a selection of paintings from San Diego-based artist KELSEY BROOKES. This special event is also the debut of Kelsey...Read more -
WORKS ON PAPER II | Group Exhibition
Quint Contemporary Art: 7547 Girard Avenue Aug 3 - Sep 7, 2013Quint Contemporary Art (QCA) is pleased to present ROY MCMAKIN: Some Drawings and a Table , a solo exhibition by Roy McMakin and WORKS ON PAPER II: Work by Peter...Read more -
Kelsey Brookes | Serotonin; Happiness and Spiritual States
Quint Contemporary Art: 7547 Girard Avenue Nov 10 - Dec 29, 2012Quint Contemporary Art (QCA) is very pleased to announce a solo exhibition of new work by San Diego based artist Kelsey Brookes . This is the second solo show of...Read more -
Kelsey Brookes | Bigger, Brighter, Bolder
Quint Contemporary Art: 7739 Drury Lane Nov 20 - Dec 19, 2009Quint Contemporary Art is pleased to exhibit new paintings by San Diego based artist Kelsey Brookes. The exhibition, BIGGER , BRIGHTER, BOLDER will be on view from November 20th through...Read more -
Homing In | An Exhibition of 50 San Diego Artists
Quint Contemporary Art: 7739 Drury Lane May 29 - Jul 11, 2009The work of San Diego’s top tier contemporary artists hasn’t been seen in the same place at the same time since 1985, when the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art...Read more
Store