Julia Fullerton-Batten
Bamboo, 2008

C-print, 25 x 31 inches
Edition 5/15, signed authenticity placard provided by artist
Framed
Courtesy of the artist and Jenkins Johnson Gallery,
New York and San Francisco
Estimated value: $7,200

Focusing on the transition of the young adolescent girl from child to young adult, the works that compose the “In Between” series are a further development of Fullerton-Batten’s continuing fascination with this subject. This newest series takes the same issues of insecurity and awkwardness earlier shown in her “Teenage Stories” works, now embodying these themes through an intensely physical image. No longer are the figures static and motionless; they have matured into more dynamic yet still unsettled images. Now the confusion of the young, isolated teenage girl is mirrored by the chaos and suspension of the figure amid a very grand, empty space. This sense of loneliness embodies the suspension of these teenagers between the two realms of society as they mature into their new role.

The figures of “In Between” appear to be frozen in midair; caught just before they fall or on their way to something greater. These girls are stuck in this transitory period and are confronted with imperfections both in the images, whether it is spilled milk, a fallen mirror, or a broken violin, and in themselves. The focus on this series is not only to reflect this confusion and insecurity but moreover to create a beautiful image despite the chaos and imperfections.

About the Artist:
Julia Fullerton-Batten

Julia Fullerton-Batten was born in Bremen, Germany. Her early life was spent in Germany and the US, but after her parent’s divorce she and her siblings moved to the UK. There she completed her secondary education, then studied photography at college. Subsequently she assisted professional photographers for five years before a first commercial assignment kick-started her career in 1995, and first gained recognition as a fine art photographer in 2005.

Fullerton-Batten is best known for her investigations of teenage girls, their psyches, and their relationships with others. "Teenage Stories" (2005) was the first of her explorative series, and in it she heightens and emphasizes the girls’ feelings of not belonging by photographing them as giants amid miniature villages. Later series such as "School Play" (2007), "In Between" (2009–2010), "Awkward" (2011), "Mothers and Daughters' (2012), and "A Testament to Love" (2013) look at these growing girls’ relationships with friends, boys, and family, as well. Her recent series "Renaissance" (2013) reflects her subjects' state of mind. Fullerton-Batten’s series show regular people who, although seemingly emotionless, truly bring us closer to understanding their inner mental states.

Fullerton-Batten’s work has received much critical acclaim and has been featured in The New Yorker, Financial Times, Vogue Korea, and Le Monde, among other publications. She was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in London to shoot portraits of leading figures in the UK National Health Service. She won the 2019 LensCulture Visual Storytelling Award and is a Hasselblad Master. Her work was the covering image for Thames and Hudson’s 2009 book A Guide to Collecting Contemporary Photography. She has shown at esteemed international institutions including Centre Pompidou, Paris; Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai; Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; Swedish Museum of Photography, Stockholm; Musée de l'Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland; and a solo exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Julia currently lives in London.

Website: juliafullerton-batten.com| jenkinsjohnsongallery.com
Facebook: /JenkinsJohnsongallerysfny
Instagram: @julia_fullertonbatten | @jenkinsjohnsongallery
Twitter: @jjgallery
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