Artist’s Reception: Thursday, June 1st • 6-8PM Exhibition dates: June 1st – July 1st

Gallery hours: Tues - Sat 11-6

Placed precariously between desire and detachment, Amanda Besl’s paintings are provocative portraits of coquettish young girls. These alluring narratives seemingly capture a private moment of sexual awareness and self-consciousness.

This voyeuristic glimpse into the burgeoning sexual currency of female adolescence allows the viewer a participatory perspective yet somehow leaves one feeling anxious. Based on images taken from teen fashion magazines or posed snap-shots of the artist’s friends, this work embraces a youthful awareness of seduction inviting the viewer into an arena of longing and drama.

Ms. Besl approaches her tiny oil paintings like a teenage crush- they are immediately wanting yet somehow awkward. Standing in front of these obsessively painted jewel-like vignettes of flirtations, one cannot help but feel an immediate connection with the sensuality of the subject, but the psychological seduction is open ended and leaves much room for discussion about the perceived power of youth. These young vixens are powerfully aware of our gaze and some models make eye contact with us while others merely allow us a fleeting view into their private world.

Amanda Besl received her MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2001. She currently lives and paints in New York.

For more information, please contact Anna Ortt or Michael Lyons Wier at 212-242-6220 or info@lyonswierortt.com