The photographs are accompanied by short personal narratives from the teenagers themselves, offering poignant glimpses into this challenging stage of life. Salinger arranged the photo shoots after making preliminary contact with her subjects in shopping malls, restaurants, and gymnasiums. The sessions often lasted several hours and resulted in images that seem deceptively casual. Swirling around the universal components of twin bed and rock poster, however, are telling details that reveal much about the early dramas of teen identity formation. They become the repository of our memories and the expression of our desires and self-image.
Teenagers are on the edge of rapid change.
The past is cramped together on the same shelf as the future. Salinger was born in Los Angeles and received her MFA in Photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has been presented widely in the United States, and she has received numerous awards during her career. She currently lives in Albuquerque and teaches at the University of New Mexico. All works are courtesy of the Stephen Wirtz Gallery, San Francisco.