Lauren Greenfield's photography is no stranger to museums, but this is a big show, even for her. Greenfield's monograph Girl Culture is featured in the Getty's newest show, Engaged Observers: Documentary Photography Since the Sixties. Drawing from the work of a very small and influential group of photographers, the show is about photography "situated between journalism and art... essays that delved deeply into topics of social concern and presented distinct personal visions of the world." Chelsea always has a number of Greenfield's books on hand, and Girl Culture is an office favorite. The press release describes Girl Culture as:
a photographic project that delves into the ways consumer society affects the lives of women in America. Of central concern to Greenfield was the exhibitionist tendencies of contemporary American femininity. Visiting girls of all ages at home, in doctors’ offices, and out with friends, Greenfield examined personal issues of public consequence, providing an intense and intimate exploration of girls’ relationships to their bodies and the effects of popular culture on self-image. Many of her pictures and accompanying interviews focus on what she refers to as “body projects,” the daily grooming rituals undertaken in an effort to express identity through appearance. Others look at the social and consumerist influences from which these young women take their cues as well as the difficulty of living up to such expectations.
The Getty is always free, so if you're in LA, there's no excuse!