Tim Best: FLASH - August 8 - September 5, 2020

Liliana Bloch Gallery announces the opening of FLASH, a new solo exhibition by Tim Best. Continuing his exploration of gender fluidity, Best takes us on an epic photographic journey. Feelings of 70’s reminiscence are imbued in Best’s choice of medium: The Polaroid camera, which heydays concurred with the artist’s first recollections of sexual awakening.

Departing from the classic photographer/model relationship, Best explores the power of the male gaze, defined by Laura Mulvey as deriving sexual pleasure from looking at the passive female object. The story in FLASH begins with the photographer projecting his gaze on the model, and then suddenly turning it onto the photographer, turning him from subject to object.

FLASH represents the sexual pleasure men enjoy from looking at a passive female yet disturbs it as the artist reverses power roles. This action transforms, transfixes, and critiques the complexities of the masculine in photography. The resulting images are a mix of video, instant film, and medium format photography revealing an intimate, visual dialogue between model and photographer.

Tim Best is a lens-based artist exploring ideas of gender and power using the language of portraiture and performance art. Best graduated from the Meadows School of the Arts full fellowship graduate program at Southern Methodist University in 2014. Over the years Tim’s work has been selected for events such as Slideluck Dallas. Later he was nominated by the Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas for their inaugural FUNd Grant in 2015, and the Artpace International Artist in Residence in San Antonio, Texas. Tim has completed 2 artist residencies in Berlin. He was first selected to attend a session at the Institut für Alles Mögliche and Picture Berlin where he spoke about his work. Tim has exhibited and published work in the US, Berlin, and the UK. His video work entitled “Poser” was selected to screen at the Dallas VideoFest Medianale 2 and the Berlin Porn Film festival in 2019. In the summer of 2020, “Poser” will screen at the Artlake Film Festival outside Berlin. Later in 2020, his videos “Change” and “Look Like Me” will screen at the Vienna Porn Film Festival and “Poser” will screen at the San Francisco Porn Film Festival.

This exhibition is not suitable for children and will be open to the public by appointment, continuing our protocol of safety measures. Masks will be required to enter the gallery. Face shields can be provided by request.

Tim Best is a lens-based artist exploring ideas of gender and power using the language of portraiture and performance art. Best graduated from the Meadows School of the Arts full fellowship graduate program at Southern Methodist University in 2014. Over the years Tim’s work has been selected for events such as Slideluck Dallas. Later he was nominated by the Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas for their inaugural FUNd Grant in 2015, and the Artpace International Artist in Residence in San Antonio, Texas. Tim has completed 2 artist residencies in Berlin. He was first selected to attend a session at the Institut für Alles Mögliche and Picture Berlin where he spoke about his work. Tim has exhibited and published work in the US, Berlin, and the UK. His video work entitled “Poser” was selected to screen at the Dallas VideoFest Medianale 2 and the Berlin Porn Film festival in 2019. In the summer of 2020, “Poser” will screen at the Artlake Film Festival outside Berlin. Later in 2020, his videos “Change” and “Look Like Me” will screen at the Vienna Porn Film Festival and “Poser” will screen at the San Francisco Porn Film Festival.