For acclaimed photographer Justine Kurland, utopia is not a place to reach but rather a continuous practice of reimagining the world around us. In a new video produced by the Museum of Modern Art, Kurland reflects on how this philosophy has shaped her artistic evolution over the past three decades, establishing her as a significant voice in contemporary photography.
Kurland has built her reputation by fundamentally reframing the American landscape through her distinctive photographic lens. Her work focuses on capturing images of adolescent girls, mothers, and various outsider communities, presenting these subjects in ways that challenge traditional narratives. Through careful composition and subject selection, she highlights gestures of autonomy and care that offer compelling alternatives to the typical stories of domination that often characterize American photography.
Her most recent artistic endeavor is documented in her 2022 book titled "SCUMB Manifesto," an acronym that stands for "Society for Cutting Up Men's Books." This provocative project involves Kurland literally taking a blade to photography books from her personal library, many of which were created by canonical photographers who are predominantly male. Among the books she has deconstructed are works by Gregory Crewdson, who was notably her former teacher at Yale University.
The creative process involves more than just destruction. After cutting up these established photography books, Kurland carefully reassembles the fragments into entirely new visual constellations. These reconstructed works create fresh perspectives and challenge the established canon of photography, opening up space for alternative ways of seeing and understanding visual art.
Through these deliberate acts of destruction and subsequent repair, Kurland continues a long-standing feminist tradition of imagining worlds that exist beyond conventional frames and established artistic boundaries. Her work represents an ongoing effort to create space for new voices and perspectives in the world of contemporary art and photography.
