When we are 15, we all feel as if we are beginning to become somebody else. Lise Sarfati

 

Lise Sarfati, Magnum

 

... the rites of passage, the birthdays, the bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteen parties, proms, online diaries, the first bra,  whispered secrets…The stammers, the pimples the awkwardness, the flush of embarrassment..

 

 

Rebecca Drobis

 

Coming of age, a common theme in literature and films, is no stranger to photography..as critic Sarah James observed in 2007: “Several young, newly prominent women photographers have more in common than their rising reputations. Trained in graduate programs in the late 90s, they tend to use adolescent girls as their subjects, prefer staged scenes to candid shots and often inject narrative elements into their pictures.“

 

 

Julia Fullerton-Batten

 

Since James made that observation ‘several’ has become many and as Sarah James observed, most are female photographers, most are relatively young, and many if not most, were trained in various graduate programs around the world.

 

 

The theme is adolescence; in particular, young girls ( with some exceptions) confronting their sexuality, their identity, their role in life. These young girls seem to want to escape from the frames of their images, and many avert their eyes, shielding themselves from the camera.

The artist’s strategies range from documentary narratives to surreal tableaux, and ‘candid shots’ are a stronger element of this collective work than critic James allows. And as Kelli Connell observes about her own autobiographical work “A questioning of sexuality and gender roles that shape the identity of  the self in intimate relationships” is often a component.

 

 

Hellen van Meene

 


Precursors to this movement, if it is a movement ( all it needs is a name; suggestions welcome) are Sally Mann’s work with her family and to lesser extent, Cindy Sherman and Tina Barney’s work. Reneke Dijkstra’s portraits have undoubtably been an influence and I would imagine there’s a touch of Nan Goldin in some of this new work also.

 

 

Reneke Dijkstra

 

Here are nine women photographers who at various times have explored the world of the female adolescent and no doubt there are others:

 

Kelli Connell,  Rebecca Drobis, Blake Fitch, Julia Fullerton-Batten,  Anna Gaskell,  Annaleen Louwes, Hellen van Meene,  Michelle Sank, and  Lise Sarfati.

 

 

               

Anna Gaskell

 

These artists with their common themes,  span the globe: Kelli Connell is American, as is Rebecca Drobis, a colleague of mine at Photoworks in Glen Echo, Maryland, where we teach. Blake Fitch is from North Carolina. Julia Fullerton-Batten lives in England. Anna Gaskell is from Iowa. Annaleen Louwes is Dutch as is Hellen van Meene. Michelle Sank, currently living in England, is from South Africa. Lise Sarfati is Algerian, grew up in France and was educated in Russia.

 

 

Michelle Sank

 

Annaleen Louwes

 

Postscript: Alert reader Space Traveler pointed out another photographer working with adolescent girls: Lauren Greenfield. Lauren is also the creator of a number of evocative videos on that subject and many others. Here is the cover picture for her book Girl Culture:

 

 

Lauren Greenfield

 

 

 

Sites where you can see more work from these artists:

Blake Fitch:www.blakefitchphotos.com/
Rebecca Drobis: www.rebeccadrobis.com/
Julia Fullerton-Batten: www.juliafullerton-batten.com
Kelli Connell: http://www.kelliconnell.com/
Michelle Sank: www.michellesank.com
Hellen van Meene: http://www.yanceyrichardson.com/artists/hellen-van-meene/index.html
Anna Gaskell: http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_work_md_191_6.html
Annaleen Louwes: http://www.vanzoetendaal.nl/annaleenlouwes/
Lise Sarfati: www.magnumphoto.com ( search Lise Sarfati)