As
a young European woman, I always idealized the iconic culture of the United
States. Having lived here for multiple years I see things in a more nuanced
way. As a photographer I am interested in the role women play in this ionic
narrative of American society. I want to investigate how young women are
sexualized and stereotyped every day in various ways. I
choose to photograph a variety of young American girls to show the diversity
among these girls. Met with countless stereotypes young women want to be
recognized as their own individuals.
I
want to give a voice to these young women. The girls in these portraits are
between six and 18 years old. I am interested in adolescence as a fleeting and
transitional stage. Young girls seem to go through an incredibly rapid change in
their teens, being a child to becoming an adult seems to occur overnight. These
portraits show a transitional stage and how it is different for each
individual. ( Ongoing project )
All Images © Eva Verbeeck