Photo Flash: East Comes West as Hamptons Artists Shine in Chelsea in SEEKING ENGAGEMENT NSA

Curator Beth McNeill of the McNeill Art Group based in Southampton has long had her finger on the pulse of the East End art scene and has brought numerous Hamptons artists to the forefront of the contemporary scene internationally. Thanks to the prodigious creative output of her brilliantly talented husband, painter, sculptor and designer Jeff Muhs, McNeill''s life is literally filled with art.

With a new installation organized for acclaimed Chelsea gallery Lyons Wier curator McNeill explores the work of eight East End (Long Island) based artists, Jack Ceglic, Tom Dash, Tapp Francke, Julia Greffenius, Nika Nesgoda, Darius Yektai, Gavin Zeigler and, of course, Jeff Muhs that share an intense investigation of personal identities. "Seeking Engagement NSA" runs now through February 22, 2014. Scroll down for photos from the opening!

Whether entering this arena via perceived or projected indefinites, each artist draws upon popular culture as a reference point to communicate their interpretations of how they view themselves when juxtaposed to the subject matter. Whether it is literally looking into a mirror, or mirroring the community, each artist seeks to engage the audience by creating a personal dialogue that is both self-reflective and self-critical. And as with any self-examination, it directly affects those around you.

Lyons Wier Gallery is the premier Representational gallery in New York City. They champion contemporary representational artists who bring an independent spirit to their genre creating a dialogue steeped in Conceptualism but communicated via Realism. Defined by the gallery as "Conceptual Realism," this movement far exceeds the traditional pictorial aspects of representational painting. Their artists' masterful deftness of hand is buttressed by their integral use of color, content and iconography bringing about a broader conceptual aspect to their naturalistic compositions.

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6pm (or) by appointment, 542 West 24th Street, (between 10th & 11th Ave.) NY, NY. Call 212.242.6220 for more information.