HELLEN VAN MEENE
2011-09-19The intimately scaled female portraits in the exhibition were all shot in Russia and in the artistʼs hometown of Heiloo, The Netherlands. Characteristic of van Meeneʼs style, the
portraits reflect an introspective mood, unveiling a moment of acute psychological poignancy. In Untitled, St. Petersburg (above), van Meene has returned to a model she previously photographed, whom the artist met in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2007.
Formerly a girl in the midst of awkward adolescence, she appears now both physically and psychologically exposed as a nude young woman, bright red lipstick and black wig her only staged adornment. Directly engaging the viewer, the modelʼs coolly blank expression and brilliant blue eyes offer an intriguing glimpse into her psyche.
Van Meene has elsewhere sought to expand her study of
photographic portraiture by turning to dogs as subjects. As with
her earliest portraits of teenagers, the artist has created an
outdoor studio with a simple background in order to focus on
the character of each dog and to highlight their idiosyncrasies.
Using a navy or crimson backdrop and an antique Persian
carpet, van Meene imbues the dogs with a measure of rank
and respect, while drawing out of them the same psychological
potential as her human portraits.
Exhibition runs through to October 22nd, 2011
Yancey Richardson Gallery
535 West 22nd Street 3rd floor
New York
NY
10011
