The best magazine in the world, The New Yorkerdrew our attention to the reissue these days (August 12 to be precise), of a book of which we had crossed some pictures in the past in specialized magazines. The book in question is called Teenagers in Their Bedrooms And presented (out of a hundred pages, 144 in this increased edition of 26 portraits and associated texts – 45 euros) a collection of teenagers from the 80s and 90s (the book was released in 1995), thatAdrienne Salinger had photographed in their room. The previous edition had been somewhat confined to art lovers. The price is quite crippling today. The second edition comes to make the vow of salting that these photos can be contemplated by those who could have been in this book. He was granted 30 years later.
What strikes in this reissue is obviously the strength of these shots. The rooms, as the New Yorker’s article says, are quite surprising because they have, despite the differences in social classes of the protagonists, significantly the same size in these years. Rather of modest dimensions, they are inhabited in the same way by adolescents: portrait up close, with bed and entourage consisting essentially of posters affirming (with .. vigor) the belonging to a cultural circle or a group.
Gavin Y., 18 ans, Liverpool (New York, 1990)
The presence of posters referring to music groups is dominant but there are also some sporting patterns. animal or cinematographic. With hindsight (these teenagers are today in his fifties for the most part), these photos act as a time trip which allows to resuscitate the imagination of a generation. We also measure the distance that has widened with today’s rooms. If teens are constantly photographing themselves, the intimate circle, that of the room, no longer benefits from the same status of intimate cave and does not appear exactly in this form in period shots. The face takes precedence over the wall. The body (lips, muscles, gaze) fairly largely dominates the exteriorization of cultural motifs, as well as the claim of belonging … by display. Today’s teenager is more defined by belonging to virtual groups, likes, statutes, memberships to tribes than a marking (the equivalent of the domestic tattoo) material of his withdrawal space as formerly. For those interested we will also send to the other two books of the American photographer that are Living Solo et Middled Aged Menwhose titles announce the program for themselves and are just as revealing of the characteristics of these social groups or behavioral sets.
Kirk B., 16 ans, Seattle (Washington, 1984)
This magnificent book resuscitates the blessed era of Comedies College at the John Hughes. His film Breakfast Club is dated 1985 and organized around the “outfits” of each of the groups that are represented at Salinger. The sportsman, the Gothic, the beautiful kid, the cerebral. American types that we will also find almost at the same time … Absolutely everywhere in pop, horror cinema, etc. Music is obviously inseparable from the teenage representations of the time whether it was New Wave, what was not quite called the Punk post or dancing music (Pop, Synthpop). The photographer, like her models, has aged and will celebrate her 70th birthday next year.
The book on Amazon
The photographs reproduced here are taken from the book of Adrienne Salinger.
