Julia Fullerton-Batten’s enigmatic series Looking Out from Within was her creative response to the first UK lockdown in 2020. Photographing her neighbours gazing forlornly out of their windows as they were told to stay at home, her project encapsulates how surreal, silent and stark the outside world had become last March.
Her project piqued the curiosity of last year’s Sony World Photography Awards judges’ and Julia was awarded second place in the Portraiture category. Four months since the announcement of her success in the Awards, Julia is publishing a photobook of the series and launching a kickstarter campaign to fund the process.
Showcased in a beautifully designed fine art book, with a thoughtful foreword by Marion Tandé, Manager of the Department of Photography at MoMA (New York), each of Julia’s wonderful images are accompanied by short interviews in this 128 page book. Asking her sitters a few informal questions about their experiences during the pandemic, Julia weaves their responses and background stories into powerful passages that partner seamlessly with the pictures.
Welcoming further collaboration with her subjects, Julia encouraged her subjects to dress up and use props, adding to the project’s hyper-real quality. Her cinematic aesthetic and distinctive style makes this series a photographic ode to one of the most challenging periods in our collective living history.
Today (24th August) Julia launched her Kickstarter campaign. Open for one month, she aims to raise £17,000 through the crowdfunding platform to pay for the production of her photobook. Supporters can enjoy a range of different rewards, including signed copies of the book, a special edition jigsaw puzzle and limited edition signed prints. Find out more and support Julia’s wonderful project here.
Julia will be joining us for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on our Instagram stories 31 August, 2 to 4pm.
She will be largely answering any questions you might have on lighting, her photographic practice and how to pursue a career in fine art photography. Don't miss it!
