Mary Larsen in "The Great Nude Invitational!"

Mosquito Hawk Gallery is proud to invite you to experience Mary Larsen's work on view at the The Great Nude Invitational figurative arts fair on May 13th-16th at the Roger Smith Hotel, 501 Lexington Avenue NYC. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

"Clothing is an armor. It is how people protect themselves from the elements, it is how we guard ourselves from others. Clothing serves to hide our perceived flaws, It is a barrier between soft flesh and the scrutiny of foreign eyes. I have never been shy about presenting subjects without clothing in my work. To me nudity creates an instantaneous intimacy between the viewer and subject. It's in the same fashion as when lovers enjoy the privilege of gazing at one another's bodies, seeing the ritual of daily dressing and undressing, and the grooming that was once performed in privacy."

Mary Larsen was born and raised on Shelter Island, New York. She attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and majored in illustration. The focus of her work is a semi-conscious melding of her love of storytelling combined with her obsession with people and the numerous forces that drive and consume them throughout their lives. Mary doesn't always understand her world, but she tries very hard.