Julia Fullerton-Batten

Julia Fullerton-Batten (Bremen, Germany, 1970) 'Without a doubt, my teenager series reflects my childhood memories, growing up with my sisters in rural Pennsylvania and later in a countryside town in Germany. My recollections are that we three sisters spent our time drifting through life, cocooned from its harsh realities, lost in dreams and fantasies. The contrast with my adult years is pronounced: now every day has a schedule and a set of objectives. When I saw the first of the miniature villages I knew instinctively that this could be the perfect backdrop for the series. The strangeness of the environment perfectly reflected the feelings elicited by my memories of the past, in which I searched for a symbolism that would enhance the image of my childhood. The teenagers that I photograph in these miniature villages are transformed. Now, they are giants moving through a fantasy world, one in which they are in control and remain unthreatened'.