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.”