kelly reemtsen: smashing
DESCRIPTION
In Smashing, Kelly Reemtsen builds upon the motif of daintily dressed women yielding tools and household equipment that she is best known for, in an exploration of the idea of “breaking the glass ceiling.” A concern with what constitutes the modern woman and the breaching of traditional gender roles, which can be traced throughout Reemtsen’s body of work, also informs these newest paintings. Stylized by a thick impasto and a bright, cheerful color palette, the works juxtapose the feminine in the form of the fashionable (and anonymous) figures, with the masculine, often aggressive, items, such as sledgehammers, axes, and chainsaws.TRANSCRIPT
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SMASHING
Cover Image:
Top Job, 2015oil on panel 60 x 60 in152 x 152 cm
KELLY REEMTSENSMASHING
OCTOBER 8 - NOVEMBER 14, 2015
In Smashing, Reemtsen builds upon the motif of daintily dressed women yielding tools and household equipment that she is best known for, in an exploration of the idea of “b“breaking the glass ceiling.” A concern with what constitutes the modern woman and the breaching of traditional gender roles, which can be traced throughout Reemtsen’s body of work, also informs these newest paintings. Stylized by a thick impasto and a bright, cheerful color palette, the works juxtapose the feminine in the form of the fashionable (and anonymous) figures, with the masculine, often aggressive, itemsitems, such as sledgehammers, axes, and chainsaws.
In keeping with the glass ceiling idea, the figures that inhabit the works in Smashing are headed upward, as Reemtsen adds in a visual element of climbing in many of her paintings.Alongside their accessories, the women are fitted with office chairs or ladders that allow them to reach new heights, both literally and figuratively. Despite the vintage feel of the clothing depicteddepicted, the theme of these paintings is an especially relevant one today, when women make great strides in the professional and political realms everyday, truly aiming for the elusive glass ceiling of yore.
Kelly Reemtsen’s work has been exhibited widely in the United States, and is part of the Twentieth Century Fox and AT&T corporate collections. Her 2013 book “I’m Falling” was the the recipient of The Independent Spirit Award at the 2014 Independent Publisher Books Award. Reemtsen currently lives and works in Los Angeles.
Smashing, 2015oil on panel56 x 48 in142 x 122 cm
The Breakthrough, 2015oil on panel56 x 48 in142 x 122 cm
Shear Bliss, 2015oil on panel36 x 36 in91 x 91 cm
I Pick You, 2015oil on panel36 x 36 in91 x 91 cm
Fuck the System, 2015cast stainless steel39 x 15 x 12 in99 x 38 x 31 cmEdition of 5, + 1 AP (each color)
Shear Pleasure, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Stiff Competition, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Top Job, 2015oil on panel60 x 60 in152 x 152 cm
To The Top, 2015oil on panel60 x 60 in152 x 152 cm
Forced, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Handled, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Step Back, 2015oil on panel36 x 36 in91 x 91 cm
Step In, 2015oil on panel36 x 36 in91 x 91 cm
Unstuck, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Labor Force, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Executive Decision, 2015oil on panel56 x 48 in142 x 122 cm
Up and Away, 2015oil on panel72 x 48 in183 x 122 cm
A Way Out, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Spotted, 2015oil on panel30 x 30 in76 x 76 cm
On Top, 2015oil on panel36 x 36 in91 x 91 cm
Step Up, 2015oil on panel36 x 36 in91 x 91 cm
Backlash, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
Striking Distance, 2015oil on panel44 x 44 in112 x 112 cm
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