Emily Mae Smith's anthropomorphic broomstick has become one of contemporary painting's most recognizable characters, and after a survey at the Magritte Museum she brings it back to Chelsea in new, stranger forms. In one painting the broom rises from straw as a scythe-carrying figure that flips the passive 19th-century nude. If you like Surrealism with a sharp feminist wit, put this at the top of your Chelsea gallery walk.
What to expect
Expect large, crisp, brightly colored oil paintings full of symbols, from grapes and eyeballs to Millet-style farm labor scenes. Petzel also shows Ross Bleckner's Octopus in the same building, so it is an easy double.
Good to know
- Take the C or E to 23rd Street and walk west to West 25th Street.
- No ticket needed; walk in during gallery hours.
- Ross Bleckner's show is on view in the same building.
- Chelsea galleries generally close on the art world's weekly days off, so check hours first.
- Great for Instagram-friendly painting that still rewards close looking.
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Common questions
Is this Emily Mae Smith's first show at Petzel?
No, it is her second solo exhibition with the gallery.
What does Transit of Venus refer to?
Petzel describes the title as alluding to the astronomical event, the female body in painting and the goddess of love.
Where is Petzel?
At 520 West 25th Street in Chelsea.
