Chuck Keller’s art evolved from his long-time interest in the art and culture of the Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest Coast, an interest developed while he lived in Seattle. On retirement from a long career as a research scientist and medical device consultant he began painting in a style influenced by Indigenous art of the Pacific Coast. His paintings, most often acrylic on canvas or ink painted on paper, incorporate the characteristics of what has been termed “formline art”, a unique, recognizable regional style. Formlines, distinctive ovoids, and U shapes are among the design elements of this art. The formlines define the overall shape of the subject and invite the eye to travel continuously around the image without leaving it, conveying a sense of motion and vitality. Chuck enjoys exploring the limits of formline art, and promoting awareness and appreciation of this unique art form and of the First Nations cultures in which it was developed.
Chuck is a member of the Antioch Fine Arts Foundation, the Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, and the Robert T. Wright Gallery of Art at the College of Lake County. His work has appeared in those galleries as well as in the Starline Factory in Harvard, the Jack Benny Center in Waukegan, Artworks in Kenosha, and several businesses and public buildings in Lake and Kenosha counties. He has given informal presentations on formline art and the Indigenous cultures from which it developed.
Email address: dr.ch.keller@gmail.com