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Striking Distance, 2015

Kelly Reemtsen’s Painterly Juxtapositions of Chic Dresses and Power Tools Showcase Modern Femininity

Labor-Force (1)
Labor Force, 2015

Los Angeles-based painter Kelly Reemtsen‘s (previously) newest works focus on the subject matter of well-dressed women toting household tools that range from mallets to power saws, each held in a causal position that demonstrates a comfortableness with the object in-hand. Each figure is anonymous, the head of the woman not included in the cropped images of dress, heels, and tool.

The collective works question what makes the modern woman, flouncy dresses coordinating with more masculine tools to showcase the objects’ relatability rather than create a contrast between the woman and her wrenches and shears. The brightly colored impasto paintings each provide a burst of color—yellow, greens, and pinks catching the eye.

Reemtsen just closed a new exhibition of work titled “Smashing” at De Buck Gallery in New York and is also represented by David Klein Gallery, which relocated to Detroit this fall. Her 2013 book “I’m Falling” won both the Independent Spirit Award and 2014 Independent Publisher Books Award.

Unstuck
Unstuck, 2015
Shear-Bliss
Shear Bliss, 2015
Spotted
Spotted, 2015
Forced
Forced, 2015
Handled
Handled, 2015
I Pick You, 2015
I Pick You, 2015
Striking-Distance
Striking Distance, 2015

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