Artist Biography:
Katy Grannan's (American, b.1969) striking portraits capture the alluring presence of her subjects. Placing advertisements across the country for models, Grannan allows her subjects to pose in their chosen setting, presenting themselves before the lens. The resulting images reflect the intensity of the relationship between artist and model as each image resonates with the tension of a first encounter. Critic Jerry Saltz has deemed Grannan the "legitimate heir to Diane Arbus," documenting those who offer themselves to her camera. Grannan's work has been included in the Whitney Biennial, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, and the UC Berkeley Museum of Art, and is collected by MoMA, SFMoMA and the International Center for Photography, among many others.

About the Work:
Angela, Red Hook, NY is an uncanny yet sophisticated portrait. The subject sits in a small chair, restricting his frame, as his robe opens casually yet seductively. This dramatic composition frames Van as the calm subject, naked before the camera. Photographing Van in his own surroundings, Grannan pays meticulous attention to the domestic setting: patterned wallpaper, adorned fireplace, a shag carpet, and other mundane but often telling details.

Market Information:
ArtCycle believes that Grannan's "Morning Call" Series is soon to be a contemporary classic, as Grannan's strongest work is represented here. Van, Red Hook, NY, one of the most popular images from this series, is no longer available anywhere, but here. It is priced below retail market value, which we estimate to be at $10,000.

Angela, Red Hook, NY, 2003
(From the Morning Call Series)
Silver gelatin print
Edition of 6
20 x 16 inches
$6,500