Justine Kurland

In this photograph, adolescent girls are depicted in a neglected space under a New Jersey highway overpass, where the sprawl of suburban development meets the natural wilderness. The young women play with fireworks, amplifying the vulnerability and precariousness of their situation. Kurland’s composition is reminiscent of historical works featuring figures set against a pastoral backdrop-for example François Boucher’s canvas at right.

The neglected space under a New Jersey highway overpass was an ideal spot for three girls to act out Justine Kurland’s fictive story about fugitive teenagers. The figurative grouping recalls pastoral scenes in historical paintings so that the danger of the girls’ pursuit in this dicey no-man’s land is temporarily suspended in the hazy romantic fantasy of escape. The strong light streaming across the scene and the overall beauty of the composition suggests a desire to pursue the sublime even in the most degraded landscapes.