Charline von Heyl at Petzel Gallery

An ominous cloud of fleshy tones and dark lines conjures hidden images (birds? an angular face?) as it hovers over an old-fashioned telephone in Charline von Heyl’s ‘Dial M for Painting.’  Like Hitchcock’s ‘Dial M for Murder,’ intrigue and tension dominate; a hastily drawn telephone leads us in to the drama while the floating mass above gives pause for thought, all against a screaming yellow background.  (On view at Petzel Gallery in Chelsea through Oct 20th).

Charline von Heyl, Dial P for Painting, acrylic and oil on linen, 60 x 50 inches, 2017.

Charline von Heyl at Petzel Gallery

Is it a serpent?  A leg in fishnet stockings?  A feathered neck?  None of the above?  New York based German artist Charline von Heyl’s latest paintings at Chelsea’s Petzel Gallery come loaded with associations for viewers willing to engage the myriad suggestions.  (Through October 5th)  

Charline von Heyl, Pancalist, acrylic on canvas, 2012.