130 http://www.AmericanArtCollector.com
N
ow open at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York
City is Summer Session, an annual group
show featuring top representational artists at
the prominent gallery in Manhattan’s Chelsea
neighborhood.
The show will feature new work from James
Gortner, Kira Nam Greene, Laura Kennedy,
Gerald Lovell, Luisi Mera, Louise LeBourgeois
and others.
New York artist Sullivan Giles will be showing
new work that arises out of a series of “confronta-
tional and unapologetic self-portraits, mostly about
radical vulnerability as a strength and my own
rebellion against beauty standards.” The one that
will likely have guests talking is Trust/Truth, a nude
self-portrait of the artist at 32 years old. Though sheis nude, Giles is also covered in tattoos, which has
a clothing-like appearance on her skin. She says,
“I wanted to create a bold, unapologetic self-
portrait. I wanted to take up space, lock eyes with
the viewer, say, ‘Here I am. Can I trust you?’ That’s
the Trust of it. The Truth of it is depicting myself as
I am, imperfections, tattoos and all. It’s a view into
how I represent and express my bodily autonomy,
and how my life experiences inform my visual and
emotional identity. The body modification in my
work refers to how I’ve used tattoos and jewelry as
a kind of psychic armor, like protective talismans.”
Asked about how she responds to her own body
as subject, Giles says the choice to paint herself
came easy. “It’s a vulnerable action to depict your-
self nude in a painting, yes. Using my body as theSummer Session
UPCOMING SHOW PREVIEW / LYONS WIER GALLERY
Through 8/17 New York, NY1
Kira Nam Greene, Chloe and
Tommy, oil, acrylic and flashe on
canvas, 50 x 40"
2
James Gortner, Apple, oil on
assemblage including shaped
panel, painting fragments, gold and
crystal (with artist frame), 34 x 31"
3
Laura Kennedy, “Ernie naively
hoped that if he could throw himself
into this dynamic pose the colonisers
would be forced to acknowledge
his uniquely radiant splendor and
might refrain from their invariable
decimation”, pencil and mixed
media on lasercut panels and
frame with 3D-printed ornaments,
22 x 22"21 3