eden

Sorry for the lack of a organizational structure of these pictures. I don't really know how to rearrange them. Anyway, this is my final project.













Thirteen is a harsh year. My little sister is thirteen, but she looks older and acts much younger. At thirteen you still like all sorts of childish things—but are much too embarrassed to admit it to your middle-school peers. My sister is still obsessed with Hannah Montana and the Disney Channel. Unfortunately, all too often at thirteen you give up all sorts of things you used to like in an attempt to look “cool.” Ballet is too girly, something you do when you’re little because your mom forces you. Outdoor roughhousing? You don’t want to be a tomboy now, do you?

The other problem of being thirteen, is that suddenly your body, which used to be just perfect for climbing trees and playing, is never good enough. For the past couple of months, I haven’t been able to go shopping with my little sister, because I just can’t stand watching anyone be so hard on their body. She’s physically matured faster than most of her friends, which makes her hate herself.

All the girls in these photos are about thirteen, and were all more than thrilled to play dress-up and get their pictures taken. I had them dress in both childish costumes and more adult outfits in order to symbolize this stage of being in between adulthood and childhood and on the outskirts of adolescence. We had a princess, a fairy, a business executive, a witch, a prom-goer, and Little Red Riding Hood. None of their outfits fit properly; some were pinned on and others showed far too much bra.

In Eden, I decided, that didn’t matter. An Eden for an early teenager would be a place not just to wait it out, but to enjoy being in the middle; to try on new personas every day and figure out what kind of person you wanted to be. There would be no locker rooms, no cafeteria lunch tables, and no comparisons. There would just be a couple of friends, a sunny day, and a chest full of costumes.