Elements: Water, Fire, Air & Earth

On display May 30-September 15, 2017

About Larr Kelly, Photographer

Larr Kelly has lived and worked in Leesburg, Virginia since 1986.  Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Northern Virginia, he received degrees from the University of Virginia and Vermont Law School, and recently retired from a career in zoning law for Loudoun County, VA.

For almost 30 years, Larr has also pursued a second career as a fine arts photographer.  Having studied under Eliot Cohen, with additional classes at the Art League School and the Smithsonian Institution, Larr continues to bring his unique perspective to life.  Larr has exhibited at a number of venues in and around the Washington, D.C. area, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Washington, The Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, The George Washington University in Ashburn, District West Fine Art and Gallery 222 in Leesburg and in a number of juried shows in the DC metropolitan area. Larr’s “Lights” series has been shown in Santa Barbara, CA, in his hometown of Leesburg, and in the State Capitol building in Richmond.  

Larr has worked in both black and white and in color, but with the conversion to digital, his work has gravitated strongly towards color. Larr’s strength lies in his eye, frequently finding interest in the patterns and details in the natural and built environments, while augmenting his sources of material by traveling widely.  Larr’s images encompass the contrasts, colors, energies and vibrations in the world.  He is inspired by modern abstract art and his work incorporates a similar aesthetic.  His work is noted for his ability to capture the beautiful interplay of light, shadow, color and line which create the patterns and details existing in the world on both micro and macro levels. The vibrational quality created by such interplay is often amplified through the kaleidoscopic effect of mirroring the images.

Larr’s last major exhibit, “Vibrations: Colors, Shapes & Lines, was inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s theory that abstract art, through colors, shapes and lines, reflects the inner vibrations of the soul. In his current show Larr uses the vibrations of nature, which can stir the soul. The abstract images comprising “Elements: Water, Fire, Air & Earth” combine four different series of nature-based images depicting a variety of water sources, fire sources, the sky, rocks and landscapes as subject matter.  Together the separate series make a natural grouping and a unified whole.  These subjects mark the four basic elements, as conceived by early western culture, of water, fire, air and earth. These elements were conceived as the bases of life, and a person’s character was thought to be determined by the proportion of each element present in a person. The twelve signs of the zodiac are categorized into groups that are associated with each of the four elements, and each of the suits in a deck of tarot cards is related to one of the elemental signs.  Some believe that an understanding of spiritual energy is gained through experiencing the vibrations of the elements.  These images represent the artist’s experiences with each of the elements.   

© 2017 Larr Kelly

For more information or to contact the artist, email [email protected]. 

Gallery Information

The exhibit is on display at the GW Virginia Science & Technology Campus, Enterprise Hall, 44983 Knoll Square, First Floor Gallery, Ashburn, VA 20147. It is free and open to the public. 

The exhibit hours are 7 a.m.-9 p.m., 7 days a week. Please contact building security to ensure access at (571) 553-3511 or (202) 815-9741.