Justine Kurland is an American photographer and visual artist whose work focuses on the exploration of youth, femininity, and the American landscape. Born in 1969 in New York City, Kurland grew up in a family of artists and writers. She attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she received her BFA in 1991.
Kurland's work has been exhibited widely throughout the United States and Europe, including solo exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her photographs have also been featured in numerous publications such as The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and Harper's Bazaar.
Kurland's work often features young women living on the fringes of society—teenage runaways, hitchhikers, and other outsiders—in settings that range from rural landscapes to urban environments. Her photographs are characterized by a dreamlike quality that captures both a sense of freedom and vulnerability. In addition to her photography practice, Kurland is also an accomplished painter whose works explore similar themes as her photographs.
Kurland has received numerous awards for her work including a Guggenheim Fellowship (2003), a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship (2005), and a Lucie Award for Fine Art Photography (2008). She currently lives and works in upstate New York.