The definitive Ellsworth Kelly monograph, created in close collaboration with the artist, a pioneer of abstract art. The 368-page book features his major works, over 150 full-colour plates and an extensive chronology, illustrated with materials from Kelly's own archive from his early figurative art to his distinctive paintings featuring blocks of single, flat colours and silhouetted shapes; from his prints and drawings to his large-scale outdoor sculptures.

Published by Phaidon, this book is a survey text and narrative chronology by Kelly expert Tricia Y Paik, and features new insights from the artist following in-depth interviews, as well as never-before-published images, sketches and other material from his personal archives.

Paik effortlessly guides readers through Kelly’s extraordinary seventy-year career, beginning with his experience as a soldier in World War II and his subsequent years in France, where he explored European art and architecture.

The author traces Kelly’s return to New York in 1954 and highlights the development of his artistic practice and seminal exhibitions. She goes on to recount Kelly’s 1970 move upstate, where he finally found the space and freedom he had been wanting, as well as the natural surroundings that continue to impact his work.

Tricia Y Paik is the curator of contemporary art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. She was formerly associate curator of modern and contemporary art at the Saint Louis Art Museum and has also held positions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Where to buy

• Phaidon
• Barneys