At Ryan Wilson Kelly‘s show “Confabulation” at the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym (PSG), he uses his theatrical sensibilities, as well as his absurd sense of humor, to assemble a veritable natural history museum of strange creatures, such as a giant snake, a ghost, a pink gorilla, a pterodactyl, and… Teddy Roosevelt? Knight Arts grantee PSG hosts Kelly for his semi-retrospective, in conjunction with his departure from Philadelphia in order to pursue a teaching job in Ohio. As far as going away parties are concerned, this is certainly one of the more colorful and diverse groups of attendees to gather on someone’s behalf and, in fact, each of them exist only because Kelly created them.

Ryan Wilson Kelly, “Cobra with basket.”

It is immediately apparent that this show has very wide appeal. From fantastic beings to historical figures and even real animals, three-dimensional masks and props, painted set pieces, and a playful creative energy, there are plenty of layers to (figuratively) peel away from his paper maché personalities. Whether it is his surreal videos and cultural references or his diligently DIY sculpture works that draws adult attention, there is an obvious appeal for a younger audience as well in Kelly’s chunky, cartoon style.

Ryan Wilson Kelly, “Big Ben Franklin with stand” and “Turkey with stand.”

Greeted at the entryway by an enormous green cobra emerging from an orange pool noodle basket next to the head of Benjamin Franklin and a wild turkey, it is obvious that Kelly’s influences are as vast and associative as they come. While the serpent hints at a sort of amusement-park-haunted-house take on horror, Benjamin Franklin’s backing of the turkey as our national bird instead of the eagle reminds us of the similarly horrific and amusing missteps of otherwise respected figures. Regardless of Franklin’s contributions to libraries and fire departments in Philadelphia and beyond, no one bought the turkey advocacy, reminding us that even the greatest of minds have a few flops.

Ryan Wilson Kelly, “Pink Ape with stand.”

Right next door we inexplicably find a big, rose-colored ape with arms extended in some type of zombie or Frankenstein-monster pose. It is wandering through a library or study (bet Franklin never saw this coming) as if entranced and oblivious to the wealth of literary and biological information around it. Perhaps there is a metaphor hidden in here somewhere, but more than likely, Kelly just needed an excuse to craft a pink primate and the shelves of books were merely an afterthought… or perhaps the other way around?

Ryan Wilson Kelly, “Skull ghost with stand,” “Pterodactyl with stand,” “Swamp thing,” and a couple of presidents.

To be sure, Kelly’s backgrounds seem about as connected to the action as the individual characters are to one another. On the end we find both a sea creature and pterodactyl head, the heads of John Adams and a chuckling Theodore Roosevelt, and a skeletal ghost with wide, yellow eyes. All of this is set against a backdrop of giant blue and white ice crystals. Is there a warning about deadly global climate change here with the ghost and extinct reptile? Roosevelt’s grinning conservationist “told ya so” seems to concur, but Kelly remains ambiguous.

For a show as ridiculous as it is conscientious, Ryan Wilson Kelly covers all his bases and, simultaneously, none of them at all. By tapping the media of sculpture, costuming, set design and drawing/painting, he proves he’s got a full arsenal of talents. His images appeal across the board to adults and children, as well as history buffs, nature lovers, performers, fine artists and, well, just about anyone really. In “Confabulation,” we find a democratic and irrational mash-up that serves as a fond farewell to Kelly as he departs Philly to start the next chapter in his own personal tale. The show will be on display at PSG through August 31.

The Philadelphia Sculpture Gym is located at 1834 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia; [email protected]; philadelphiasculpturegym.com