These photographs catch young teenage girls mid-wink, mid-gum chew, mid-hair twirl, mouths agape, and eyes rolled back — split-second scenes that capture the very essence of entering puberty… It’s awkward. Photographing her subjects with bursts of shots in fast succession and plucking out the choice shot, Stockholm-based artist Julia Peirone freezes the girls at their most unguarded. As seen in the Winter 2011 issue of Aperture Magazine, the series More Than Violet plays on the duality between the documentary and staged: She gets them just getting ready to pose, that is, not posed at all. Somewhere between the outward appearance and the inner world, these off-guard portraits are revealing and just a bit jarring. Do they bring you back to middle school?
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Isabella. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Maria. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Louise. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Lovisa. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Nike. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Signe. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Klara. 2010. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Sophie. 2011. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm
Photo credit: Julia Peirone. Susanna. 2011. Lambdaprint 70×70 cm