kelly reemtsen: america's sweetheart
DESCRIPTION
Elegant women dressed in vintage finds and armed with tools and common household items, Kelly Reemtsen’s paintings create a paradoxically edgy air of nostalgia. There exists a sharp contrast in much of Reemtsen’s work between the bright and cheery figures, and the utilitarian and sometimes ominous accessories they carry, such as chainsaws or axes, coupled with a recurring headless anonymity. The titles of these pieces, “Forget Me Not,” “Here Comes Trouble,” and “On a Short Leash” among them, add to the ambiguity between violence and domesticity in these works, though at the same time many of her figures are nothing but ebullient.TRANSCRIPT
Kelly Reemtsen
Cover artwork Charismatic, 2013oil on panel44 x 44 inches112 x 112 cm
Kelly ReemtsenAt first glance, Kelly Reemtsen’s paintings could be described as anything
but sinister. Close up views of bright, vintage dresses against impasto white backgrounds, these figures stand for cheerful personifications of an iconic sense of femininity nostalgic of the 1950s. This impression, however, is not the entire story of Reemtsen’s work. All of her women are anonymous, often headless, embodiments of both the beautiful and the ominous. Most of her figures either fall helplessly through a blank and seemingly endless atmosphere or stand at attention holding “masculine” objects, such as axes, chainsaws or hoses, which hold both violent and domestic connotations. The contrast between these objects and what is expected of the ladies who hold them is chilling. Pills are also objects of interest for Reemtsen – again, everyday objects that may hold a darker meaning, and yet are glamorized by the artist’s attentive treatment of their rich colors and unique surfaces. Reemtsen’s work then, is composed entirely of contradictions, which make her characters, though faceless and anonymous, extremely compelling women.
Kelly Reemtsen studied Fashion Design, an area that clearly resonates in her work today, as well as painting at Central Michigan University and California State University Long Beach. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and is included in many collections including the corporate collections of 20th Century Fox (Los Angeles) and Bon Appetite (San Francisco). She was most recently an Artist in Residence at the Venice Printmaking Studio in Italy.
De Buck Gallery is proud to present works by Los Angeles-based artist Kelly Reemtsen. The works presented in the following pages were included in her exhibition, America’s Sweetheart, on view at the gallery November 7 – December 21, 2013.
on a Short Leash, 2013oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
water works, 2013oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
Gripping, 2013oil on panel30 x 30 inches76 x 76 cm
Sweet Side, 2013oil on panel44 x 44 inches112 x 112 cm
Neat Freak, 2013oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
Pill Pile, 2011resin and auto paint installationdimensions variable
throw In the towel, 2013oil on panel30 x 30 inches76 x 76 cm
I’m open to It, 2013oil on panel30 x 30 inches76 x 76 cm
Slipped, 2013oil on panel30 x 60 inches76 x 152 cm
Ship Shape, 2013oil on panel72 x 48 inches183 x 122 cm
aqua Xanax, 2011resin and auto paint2 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches6 x 18 x 3 cmedition of 10
Purple Xanax, 2011resin and auto paint2 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches6 x 18 x 3 cmedition of 10
Green Xanax, 2011resin and auto paint2 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 1 1/4 inches6 x 18 x 3 cmedition of 10
Head over Heels, 2013oil on panel30 x 35 inches76 x 89 cm
Clipped, 2013oil on panel30 x 30 inches76 x 76 cm
Sweet Nothings, 2013oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
Splitting Hairs, 201213 color woodcut40 x 40 inches100 x 100 cmedition of 10
Good Girl, 2013oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
rx, 2009oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
You wouldn’t, 201213 color woodcut40 x 40 inches100 x 100 cmedition of 10
Pink and white Caplet, 2011resin and auto paint2 1/2 x 8 x 2 1/2 inches6 x 20 x 6 cmedition of 10
aspirin, 2011resin and auto paint4 x 4 x 1 inches10 x 10 x 3 cmedition of 10
orange Stripe Capsule, 2011resin and auto paint7 x 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches18 x 6 x 6 cmedition of 10
Blue valium, 2011resin and auto paint4 x 4 x 1 inches10 x 10 x 3 cmedition of 10
Green Gel Cap, 2011resin and auto paint3 x 6 x 3 inches8 x 15 x 8 cmedition of 10
Yellow Prozac, 2011resin and auto paint5 x 5 x 1 1/2 inches13 x 13 x 4 cmedition of 10
Spot on, 2013oil on panel44 x 44 inches112 x 112 cm
Here Comes trouble, 2013oil on panel36 x 36 inches91 x 91 cm
Chainsaw Study, 2013pastel on paper26 x 30 inches66 x 76 cm
Stripe Study, 2013pastel on paper26 x 30 inches66 x 76 cm
axe Study, 2013pastel on paper23 x 35 inches58 x 89 cm
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