Erin Patrice O'Brien Opening

(Via Whats the Jackanory?)

Tonight is the opening reception for Erin Patrice O'Brien's "Mamás Adolescentes: NYC 2006-2007"

A photo exhibition that chronicles two years in the lives of Mexican-American teenage mothers in Brooklyn, NY. The photos in this exhibit are windows into a world that is largely hidden. They tell the story of Fanny, Elizabeth, Maria, Gina and Yolanda when there is no one else to tell it for them.

On View: Saturday, August 16 - Saturday, August 24, 2008

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 16, 2008 4-7pm

Artist Panel Discussion: Saturday, August 16, 3-4pm.

Moderator: Yesenia Ruiz, PhD Candidate, Anthropology

Panel: Dr. Yvette Martas, former Director of the Adolescent OB/Gyn Clinic at Bellevue Hospital, Franziska Castillo, former Contributing Editor of Latina Magazine and Public Relations Manager from El Museo del Barrio and Erin Patrice O'Brien, photographer. Curated by Nina Ziefvert.

Danny Simmons’ Corridor Gallery, 334 Grand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

After the birth of her own daughter in 2005, Photographer Erin O’Brien was struck by how overwhelming motherhood could be and wanted to know how being a mom felt to those barely into adulthood themselves. Dedicated to documenting the situation Erin contacted Dr. Yvette Martas, head of the Bellevue Hospital Adolescent OBGYN clinic, who in 2005 introduced her to Fanny, 14, Elizabeth , 15, years , Maria, 18, Gina, 16, and Yolanda, 17. After that Erin met with the girls on a regular basis and photographed the girls’ during their pregnancies and for up to a year after their babies’ births. Many of the girls are first generation immigrants, with limited knowledge of English, in search of new lives, but instead have wound up in tenement apartments they share with other families. Cut off from school and friends, they are dependant on their younger siblings or roommates to translate for them, and caring for their babies alone all day often results in isolation. “Erin made these young women feel important by validating their lives by photographing them when the whole society ignores them”, says Dr. Yvette Martas.

The teen pregnancy rate among Latinas is nearly twice the national average, and rising. According to the Latino Initiative’s National Campaign, the birth rate for Latinas aged 15-19 increased in 16 of 37 reporting states and the District of Columbia between 1990 and 2005. Source: www.thenationalcampaign.org

The Girl Project: A Conversation

© The Girl Project

The talented Dina Kantor recently made us aware of the ongoing The Girl Project --"A national collection of photographs taken by teenage girls. The photographs represent teenage girlhood and life as seen through the eyes of young women in America", states the project's website.
Reminiscent of projects such as "Kids With Camera" and "Through The Eyes of Children - The Rwanda Project", this project however gives viewers a unique look at girlhood in America today and encourages and empowers girls to express themselves and take ownership.


© The Girl Project

The project intrigued us and made us curious about who is behind the idea. The Girl Project is spearheaded by New York based photographer Kate Engelbrecht, who took the time to answer a few questions for us:

NP: Tell us a little about yourself.
KE: I am from Minnesota originally. I grew up in Northern MN but have lived in NYC for the past 10 years. After college I didn't have a clue what to do with myself. I had majored in sociology and was not interested in a career in academia, so I moved to NYC and started working in advertising. Shortly after I learned I didn't want to work in advertising.

NP: How did you discover photography?
KE: It was at the ad agency I worked for. While I was quickly becoming uninterested in advertising I was even faster falling in love with photography. I bought a used Minolta with a 50mm lens for $150 and started shooting. It is still my favorite camera.

NP: How did this project come about?
KE: I had been toying with the idea for some time - looking for a way to blend two things that interest me (photography and girlhood). At some point I realized that the opportunity was bigger than just examining female adolescence through photography... and that it could also be a way to understand girls in an entirely new way. I figured why not go to the source - why not let the subject speak for herself.

NP: What would you consider to be the ideal venue to show an exhibit of these images you are collecting and curating?
KE: Great question. And I'm torn between two answers. One is institutional, by where my dream is to see The Girl Project on exhibit at ICP, Mass MoCA or The Walker. The other is to make it more approachable... more accessible... and get Target to sponsor a traveling exhibition in their stores.

NP: Thanks so much! We are much looking forward to seeing how the project progresses.


The Girl Project also has a blog: thegirlprojectblog.blogspot.com