'Tween Freaks

Hellen van Meene's photographs of adolescents at Yancey Richardson gallery have a genuine "made cha look" quality. But after looking, the viewer may feel he's seen these types of freak-show-parade images before. Still, these photos draw you in on their own merits. Although van Meene has posed these kids, these 'tweens seem more in control of the image than the photographer. In the throes of the awkward years, Meene's models exude that period when childhood confidence turns to teenage self-consciousness. (Images via Yancey Richardson gallery)