A
Girl and her Room
The images
were captured using a digital camera and all natural lighting. They
are Archival Inkjet Prints on Museo Rag Silver Paper printed at
24”x 36”.
As a mother of a teenage
daughter I watch with awe her passage from girlhood into adulthood,
with all the complications that it entails. As I am observing her
and her girlfriends, I became fascinated with the transformation
taking place, with the adult personality shaping up and with an
insecurity and a self-consciousness that are now replacing the carefree
world those girls had live in so far. I started photographing them
in group situations, and quickly realized that they were so aware
of each other’s presence, and that their being in a group affected
very much whom they were portraying to the world. I also realized
that under an air of self-assurance, those young women were often
very fragile, self-conscious and confused. While their bodies were
developing fast into women’s bodies, they were still on many levels
young girls who suddenly thought they had to behave like adults.
From there, emerged the
idea of photographing each girl alone. I originally let the girls
choose the place of their choice and was slowly welcomed into their
bedrooms, an area that is theirs, that they can fully control, decorate,
trash and be themselves in, within an outside world that is often
intimidating. I spent time with each girl, so she was comfortable
with me and was able to let down her guards, free of any preconception
of what she would like to portray consciously. I was fascinated
to discover a person on the cusp on becoming an adult, but desperately
holding on to the child she just barely left behind, a person on
the edge between two worlds, trying to come to terms with this transitional
time in her life and adjust to the person she is becoming. Posters
of rock stars, political leaders or top models were often displayed
above a bed still covered with stuffed animals; mirrors were always
an important part of the room, a reflection of the girls’ image
to the outside world.
Being with those young
women in the privacy of their world gave me a unique peak into their
private lives and their real selves. I thank them all for their
trust and their willingness to share their private space and their
private self with me.
This work is
in progress. I am in the process of expanding it to include girls
from different backgrounds in the US and abroad.
Anna 17, Winchester MA, 2009
Brittany 19, Boston MA, 2010
Danielle 20, Boston 2010
Emma 16, Brookline MA, 2007
Kenza 15, London UK, 2009
Krystal 17, Boston MA, 2009
Siena 17, Brookline MA, 2009
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