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Justine Kurland's 'Girl Pictures' monograph presents iconic series of teenage girls in American wilderness

publication · 2026-04-22

Justine Kurland's monograph 'Girl Pictures,' released on May 26, 2020, showcases her photographic series of teenage girls set against the backdrop of the American wilderness from 1997 to 2002. This hardback edition spans 144 pages and features 76 images, including some that have not been published before. Kurland, a native of Warsaw, New York, portrays the girls as a 'standing army of teenaged runaways' challenging patriarchal norms. Her art illustrates a lawless yet idealistic realm adjacent to suburban life. Kurland earned her BFA from the School of Visual Arts and her MFA from Yale University, with her works included in prestigious collections like the Whitney Museum and Guggenheim. Her earlier monograph, 'Highway Kind,' came out in 2016. The book dimensions are 9.2 x 11.3 x 0.7 inches, with ISBN 9781597114745.

Key facts

  • Justine Kurland's 'Girl Pictures' monograph was published on May 26, 2020
  • The series features images of teenage girls taken between 1997 and 2002 in the American wilderness
  • Kurland described staging the girls as 'a standing army of teenaged runaways in resistance to patriarchal ideals'
  • The 144-page hardback includes 76 photographs, with some previously unpublished images
  • Kurland holds a BFA from School of Visual Arts and an MFA from Yale University
  • Her work is in collections of Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, and International Center of Photography
  • Writer Rebecca Bengal contributed to the book, holding the Spring 2020 Mina Hohenberg Darden Chair at Old Dominion University
  • The book measures 9.2 x 11.3 x 0.7 inches with ISBN 9781597114745

Entities

Artists

  • Justine Kurland
  • Rebecca Bengal

Institutions

  • Aperture
  • School of Visual Arts
  • Yale University
  • Whitney Museum of American Art
  • Guggenheim Museum
  • International Center of Photography
  • New Yorker
  • Bookforum
  • Paris Review
  • Vogue
  • New York Times
  • Old Dominion University

Locations

  • Warsaw
  • New York
  • New York City
  • Norfolk
  • Virginia

Sources