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Forest,1998©JustineKurlandTextTishWrigleyThevariousfacesoftheNorthAmericanwildernessarerivenwithiconographyofromance,rebellion,escapeandfreedom.HerecowboysfoughtIndians,ButchCassidyandtheSundanceKidevadedjustice,HenryDavidThoreaulivedinthewoods,JackKerouacwentontheroadandTimothyTreadwelltriedtounderstandgrizzlybears.It’saprofoundlymasculinenarrative,allJohnWayne,BeatpoetsandHuckleberryFinn.Butwherearethegirls?
Obviouslytherehavebeenwomenontheroad,runningandrebellingjustashardastheboys.PhotographerJustineKurlandwasoneofthem.For20years,shewentonmany-month-longroadtripsacrosstheUnitedStatesinanoldgreenvan,exploringandtakingpictures.Shehadanumberofsubjects,butbetween1997and2002shefocusedontheGirlPictures,stagingimagesinspiredbyteenagerunaways,imagesredolentwithmodernityandmyth.
“Istagedthegirlsasastandingarmyofteenagedrunawaysinresistancetopatriarchalideals,”shesays.“Thegirlsinthesephotographshavegatheredtogetherinsolidarity,claimingterritoryoutsidethemarginsoffamilyandinstitutions.”
TwoGirlsattheFarm,2002©JustineKurlandKurlandwouldscoutevocativelocations,oftenwithlinkstothe19th-centuryWesternfrontier,andrecruitheryouthfulsubjectsfromlocaltownsandschools.“IneverknewwhereIwouldenduporwhomIwouldfind,”shesays,“soitwasimpossibletopredeterminetheoutcome.IallowedmynarrativestounravelasIconstructedthem.Iwantedthepicturestocontainbothmyprojectionandtheactualityofthesituation.”
Whatispresentedisanotherworldlyversionoffemalelifeinthewild,freedfromthelimitsofpatriarchalpower.Boysarepresentonlyasvictims–beingtorturedbynudityoroverpoweredbya“two-headedmonster”.Otherwise,theworldisfemaleandmade
upofpagan,primalandprosaicactivities–girlscarryinghomedeercarcasses,swimmingingreenlakes,curleduptogetherinmakeshifttents,playing,camping,burning,eating,lounging,climbing,dancing,exploring.Inone,twofigures“makehappy”inanabandonedcar,inanothertheyeatketchupsandwiches,inanothertheyemergelikedungaree-cladconquerorsfromunderabridge.Thetitlesaddtotheatmosphere–TheSirensclamberuparoadsidebank,TheGuardianAngelsitsonascrubbybankbyamotorway,BloodSisterslieentangledunderatarpaulin.
OneRed,OneBlue,2001©JustineKurlandButwhilemythandlegendarewovenintothepictures,sotooaregritandugliness.Aclusterofteenagersare“shipwrecked”inaburnt-outcar;oneclimbsablossom-soakedtreeframedbyamotorwayandaloomingindustrialcoastline;thegirlinflightfromaforestfirestreamingsmokemightgenuinelybeinperil.Weunderstandthesepicturesarepartinvention,butthetruthspileup–notleastintheclothes.Theubiquitoushoodies,tanktops,baggyjeans,combattrousers,oversizedshirtsaretoofamiliartobeacostume.Thesegirlsarenotcreations,theyarecreatingversionsofthemselves,orevenidealisedversionsofKurland’sowngirlhood.
Shesays,“Iwasinterestedingirlsbecauseoftheirpotentialbecoming.Iwantedtowarnthemawayfromadulthood,andretroactivelytocorrectwhatIhadn’tbeenabletofixformyself–becomingcompliciteconomically,culturallyandpolitically.”
20yearson,anexhibitionatMitchell-Innes&Nashisthefirstpresentationoftheartist’scompletefirstprintingoftheGirlPictures.Politicallyandpersonally,theycontinuetoresonate.Rightnowwomenhavebeenforcedintothestreetstocampaignforprotectionoftheirbodiesandrights,andthisspiritalignswithKurland’sadventuringrunaways.“It’snecessarytolookatthisworkinthecontextofourcurrentpoliticalsituation,wherehumanrightsareunderconstantattack.Thegirlsinmyphotographshavebeenmarchingfor20yearstobuildaworldthatispossibletolivein.”
CandyToss,2000©JustineKurlandForKurland,shereturnstoherimagesasanewlystationaryartist.Hergreenvanwastotalledafewyearsago,effectivelyendingherlifeontheroad.Shehasbeguntoexploreherroots,whileputtingdownnewonesofherown.“Inmanyways,myroadtripswereaboutputtingasmuchdistancebetweenmeandmyselfasIcould,aboutgoingasfarawayasmycarcouldtakeme.IdecidedtogobacktoseewhatIwasrunningfrom.”
Asforthegirlsthemselves–“NoneofthemliveingirlcollectivesasIimagined.Butdreamsmakewayforotherdreams.Iliketothinkthatnomatterwhat,theysometimeslookatthepicturesandremember,howeverbriefly,thattheywereoncefree.”