Kelly made his first postcard collage in 1954 shortly after his return to the United States from Paris, where he had been living since 1948. He would regularly make collages on postcards over the course of the next five decades. Rarely exhibited, and never sold during the artist’s lifetime, Kelly’s postcard collages were often mailed to friends and offer glimpses into the artist’s travels, personal interests, and relationships.

A comprehensive survey of Kelly’s postcard collages, accompanied by a comprehensive publication, was recently organized by the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. The exhibition travels to the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin in August 2022.