[the ultimate face card test / 00s energy]
the north american landscape is an enduring symbol of romance, rebellion, escape, and freedom. at the same time, it’s a profoundly masculine myth—cowboys, outlaws, beat poets. photographer justine kurland reclaimed this space in her now-iconic series of images of teenage girls, taken between 1997 and 2002 on the road in the american wilderness. “i staged the girls as a standing army of teenaged runaways in resistance to patriarchal ideals,” says kurland. she portrays the girls as fearless and free, tender and fierce. they hunt and explore, braid each other’s hair, and swim in sun-dappled watering holes—paying no mind to the camera (or the viewer). their world is at once lawless and utopian, a frontier eden in the wild spaces just outside of suburban infrastructure and ideas. twenty years on, the series still resonates, published here in its entirety and including newly discovered, unpublished images.
author: Justine Kurland
year: 2018
condition: near mint with wear consistent with age
librarian's note: a significant archival document exploring the authentic expression of adolescence. curated for its honest portrayal of the 'teen' experience, mapping the private domestic spaces and visual identities of a generation. an essential text for the study of girlhood, domesticity, and subcultural identity.
straight from the rat hole 2 u.
[the ultimate face card test / 00s energy]
the north american landscape is an enduring symbol of romance, rebellion, escape, and freedom. at the same time, it’s a profoundly masculine myth—cowboys, outlaws, beat poets. photographer justine kurland reclaimed this space in her now-iconic series of images of teenage girls, taken between 1997 and 2002 on the road in the american wilderness. “i staged the girls as a standing army of teenaged runaways in resistance to patriarchal ideals,” says kurland. she portrays the girls as fearless and free, tender and fierce. they hunt and explore, braid each other’s hair, and swim in sun-dappled watering holes—paying no mind to the camera (or the viewer). their world is at once lawless and utopian, a frontier eden in the wild spaces just outside of suburban infrastructure and ideas. twenty years on, the series still resonates, published here in its entirety and including newly discovered, unpublished images.
author: Justine Kurland
year: 2018
condition: near mint with wear consistent with age
librarian's note: a significant archival document exploring the authentic expression of adolescence. curated for its honest portrayal of the 'teen' experience, mapping the private domestic spaces and visual identities of a generation. an essential text for the study of girlhood, domesticity, and subcultural identity.
straight from the rat hole 2 u.
Image 1 of 3
Image 2 of 3
Image 3 of 3
