Last days to see Julia Fullerton-Batten 2005-2012, a solo exhibition by British photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten at the Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, through December 8. Julia Fullerton-Batten 2005-2012 is a survey of works from Julia Fullerton-Batten’s five series executed over the past seven years.
Each series, Mothers & Daughters (2012), Awkward (2011), In Between (2009-2010), School Play (2007), and Teenage Stories (2005), take a unique approach to examine the challenges and expressions of adolescence. The exhibition consists of small grouping of key images from each series. Fullerton-Batten’s newest series, Mothers & Daughters, is inspired by her and her sisters’ relationship with their mother, portraying the complex and sometimes challenging relationship between mothers and their daughters. Her use of eerie artificial light gives the photographs a theatrical, otherworldly atmosphere. Through depictions of infant, adolescent, middle-aged, and elderly subjects in this series, Fullerton-Batten shows the changing nature of mother-daughter relationships throughout their lifespan. In Awkward the artist examines the complex relationships encountered during adolescence. In these works, she delves into the interplay between the sexes of underlying sexual curiosity, creating a sense of heightened stress. The teen’s portrayed cast awkward posturing and gazes, . In Between depicts an expression of adolescent young women, juxtaposed against pristine and spectacular interiors. Each girl is suspended in midair, dress, hair and body sprung in motionless chaos. The figures embody an echoing loneliness as these young teenagers mature into adulthood. Fullerton-Batten captures the emotive nature of adolescence, casting an image of their inner uncertainties and confusion. School Play features images of schoolgirls dressed and behaving in an identical, orderly fashion, while one girl consistently falls out of line. The central theme of this series examines the bullying and humiliation among teenage girls . Fullerton-Batten also draws a cultural comparison setting the images in both Western and Chinese schools. Fullerton-Batten’s seminal 2005 series Teenage Stories documents the start of her study of teen girls. Book, Broken Eggs, and P&O previously unavailable prints, will be featured in the exhibition. These works have proven extremely popular since their inclusion in Fullerton-Batten’s 2007 book Teenage Stories. In this series, she emphasizes the girls’ feelings of not belonging by photographing them as giants amid miniature villages. The visually stunning pieces, capture the vulnerability of youth. All of Fullerton-Batten’s series , truly bring us closer to understanding the inner workings of the teenage mind. Jenkins Johnson Gallery is proud to present her first San Francisco solo show.
Julia Fullerton-Batten lives and works in London. Mothers & Daughters (2012), Awkward (2011), In Between (2009-2010), School Play (2007), and Teenage Stories (2005) have received much critical acclaim and have been featured in the ARTnews, New Yorker, Le Monde, and the Financial Times, among others. One of her photograph was the cover image for Thames & Hudson’s 2009 book A Guide to Collecting Contemporary Photography. Fullerton-Batten has been shown at esteemed international institutions such as Centre Pompidou, Paris; Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai; Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; and had a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
EXHIBITION
November 1 – December 8, 2012
Jenkins Johnson Gallery
464 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
USA
REPRESENTATION
Paris = Leon Paris
London = Wyatt Clarke & Jones
Germany = Christa Klubert
Italy = Erica Zmitrocitch
USA = Vaughan Hannigan
GALLERIES
Camara Obsucra, Madrid Caprice Hien, Berlin Randall Scott, Washington DC Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco Casa Dell’Arte, Turquie
