Arguably the most renowned photographer of his generation, Ryan McGinley (b. 1977) was the youngest artist to ever have a solo show at the Whitney in 2003.

Over the past two decades, McGinley has proven himself to be the successor to both Nan Goldin and Larry Clark with a unique documentary style that portrays the idealisms of a generation.

McGinley's work captures the optimism, rebellion and hedonism experienced by friends and lovers in New York City. Artists such as the late Dash Snow and Dan Colen regularly make appearances in his images.

While McGinley established his reputation with joyful images of youth, he has gradually evolved into one of the most sought-after portrait photographers. His work regularly appears in magazines including Vanity Fair and the New York Times magazine. 

Lily (Woods) is an image that is a perfect intersection of McGinley's most cherished elements; portraiture of youth, freely at play in nature.

A nude young woman poses confidently within a dark forest, gazing directly back into the photographer- or viewers - eyes. Her enigmatic smile, evocative of the Mona Lisa, is both playful and daring. 

During this era, McGinley worked almost exclusively in a 40" x 30" print format. It is quite rare to find an image from the period in this more intimate size, yet still be a relatively small edition. This luminous portrait perfectly demonstrates Ryan McGinley's iconic mastery of portraiture and portrayal of youth.

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Lily (Woods), 2005

C-Print

From an edition of 25

Signed, numbered, and dated verso 

Accompanying label 

24”H 16”W (sheet)

29.5"H 21.5"W (framed)

Minor handling creases, overall very good condition