Miss Leading, 2019 (Oil on Panel, 60x80”) - Kelly Reemtsen
In the Loop: Virtual exhibition on April 28th by David Klein Gallery
“People often tell me they see themselves when they see my artwork, and I humbly tap myself on the shoulder and feel I have accomplished my goal.” claims Kelly Reemtsen, the talented artist who creates elaborate depictions of the modern-day woman adorned in designer dresses and clasping heavy duty equipment.
This could not have been truer for our One Line Founders, Karrie and Susan, who were immediately drawn to Kelly’s work, and what it meant to them.
The inspiration behind this incredible decade+ strong collection is in a photo of her mother. Like many young women who look up to their Mother, Kelly kept a picture of her on the fridge. However, this image was not exactly a family portrait. She is in a 70’s style bikini with a gigantic Hoover vacuum. The contraption alone would have been more appropriate for battle, but her posture and fashion choice made for a dynamic combination and said so much more. Kelly watched her mother do a lot of yard work, fixing and getting things done around the house.
Albion Presses with work in progress at Kelly’s London studio
Kelly has always been more interested in the equipment required to make something rather than the thing itself. She is quite handy and intrigued by equipment that produces art - like machines that make machines. This fascination is evident by her 1845Victorian age printing press that she plans to travel with around the United States printing posters for voters.
Coupled with her fascination in tools, Kelly has a keen eye for fashion and architecture. From collecting custom chairs designed by architects to her obsession with vintage dresses and designer shoes, the two-part story behind her art begins to unfold.
It wasn’t until she picked up an old copy of Better Homes & Gardens from 1952-54, a mid-century Russel Wright chair that she already owned caught her attention. She then noticed a poll,
“Should a woman be able to water the lawn?”
The picture was an image of a women dressed to the nines and carrying a garden hose. “A dialogue started in my head – What else should women be able to do? This was in 2007-2008 and I was already painting the designer dresses I collected. I began pairing them with power tools, and this concept took on its own life.” Says Kelly. Her first show of this iconic series was shortly after in 2009 at David Klein Gallery – which people really related to.
Kelly Reemtsen’s studio in Los Angeles
“It’s not just women who can relate either, many men have said, wow that’s my wife or that’s how I want my daughter to feel one day.” – adds Kelly.
How or why people relate becomes their own story, but for Kelly the process of creating these large scale pieces has become so natural, she is like the well-oiled machines she always admired. When you see the brush strokes and detail up close and the powerful scale of her work you can really feel the life poured into them. Visualizing her work throughout the process of collecting the dresses, tools, and model, shooting close to 3000 pictures, and then sketching out the composition is the prep work that takes the longest. When it comes time to do her oil painting, she makes decisions quickly and just knows when to stop. “I like to put a brush stroke down and then it’s there, I rarely mess with it.”
Her paintings have a spontaneous look to them and yet, “The painting is often already completed in my mind and it just flows out of me.” Kelly shares that part of that is years and years of mixing color and knowing her palette.
Kelly with her painting, ‘Uplifting’ 2020
Our opportunity to speak with Kelly Reemtsen about the exploration of her work and life has been inspiring. Interestingly, when we asked who she would sit down to dinner with and why, she said Peggie Guggenheim an art collector and icon for the most important museum in modern Italy, because of all she did to support artists during her time. Now, look at all that Kelly Reemtsen is doing for female artists today and her ability to
connect to a broad group of people for progress.
Kelly you are making your mark just like Peggie, and we are so honored to have spent time connecting with you.
Kelly will be showcasing her work in a virtual exhibition called ‘In the Loop’ April 28th – May 12th produced by David Klein Gallery in Detroit, MI. Link to Exhibit at DKGallery