Los Angeles-based painter Kelly Reemtsen 's ‘s 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 Reemsten just closed a new exhibition of work titled “Smashing” at De Buck Gallery in New York and is us 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.