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America’s Girls, On the Edge of a Dream

America’s Girls, On the Edge of a Dream

by Eva Verbeeck

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America’s Girls, On the Edge of a Dream is a striking new monograph by acclaimed Belgian photographer and filmmaker Eva Verbeeck. Shot entirely on analogue film across the United States, the book offers an intimate look into the lives of young American women navigating the complex landscape of identity, agency, and self-discovery. The book is a result of a major long-term project that was photographed over six years across 28 US states and follows more than 400 girls between the ages of 8 and 18 across Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. The work examines contemporary girlhood in America through questions of identity, femininity, power, and the influence of media and cultural mythology.

More about this book

Growing up in Tessenderlo, a small, quiet farming town in Belgium in the 1990s, Verbeeck was captivated from a distance by the cultural mythology of the ‘American teenager.’ It was a concept built on boundless possibility, far removed from her local landscape of central church squares and local country fairs. Decades later, Verbeeck moved to the US and while living there she traveled across the country to meet and photograph the actual young women who inspired her childhood daydreams, using her lens to bridge the gap between fantasy and reality.The resulting images also allow the next generation of American women to be heard; to share what they are passionate about. The girls were found through a combination of open calls, community events, outreach to local organisers, schools, and youth groups, as well as lectures and conversations Verbeeck gave while traveling and living across the US. The project grew organically through these encounters and personal connections.

Each girl was asked to bring one object that had personal significance to them to the shoot, if they wished to do so. Some girls chose to be photographed without any object at all, while many brought something meaningful to them, ranging from personal belongings and sports equipment to musical instruments, pets, or other items that reflected their identity and interests.

Growing up in a small town in rural Belgium, my understanding of America and girlhood was shaped almost entirely through magazines, films, music videos, and pop culture imagery. The idea of the ‘American girl’ existed in my imagination long before I ever came to the United States, built from fragments of images, fantasies, and stories that felt impossibly far away from where I grew up. Over six years, I photographed more than 400 girls across 28 states using large format film cameras. The slowness of the process created space for conversation, vulnerability, and trust. The project ultimately became a way of exploring girlhood, identity, and contemporary American life through the perspectives and experiences of the young women I met along the way.

Verbeeck’s work often focuses on adolescence and the complex ways individuals come to understand themselves within broader cultural and social frameworks. Blending documentary sensibilities with a painterly visual language, Verbeeck creates intimate portraits that resist simplification and invite deeper reflection around image culture, vulnerability, and self representation.

Published September 2026
290 x 350 mm
104pp, 54 images printed 4 colour
Hardback clothbound
ISBN 978-1-80598-042-1

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From the author

  • Eva Verbeeck is a Belgian photographer and filmmaker based in Amsterdam whose work explores themes of identity, representation, youth, and human connection. Working primarily with large format analogue cameras, her practice is rooted in slowness, collaboration, and long term engagement with the people she photographs.

    Verbeeck’s work has been published internationally in publications including 'National Geographic', 'The Washington Post', 'Bloomberg Businessweek', 'Vogue', and 'Le Monde'. Her photographs have been exhibited internationally and are held in both private and institutional collections.

  • Growing up in a small town in rural Belgium, my understanding of America and girlhood was shaped almost entirely through magazines, films, music videos, and pop culture imagery. The idea of the ‘American girl’ existed in my imagination long before I ever came to the United States, built from fragments of images, fantasies, and stories that felt impossibly far away from where I grew up. Over six years, I photographed more than 400 girls across 28 states using large format film cameras. The slowness of the process created space for conversation, vulnerability, and trust. The project ultimately became a way of exploring girlhood, identity, and contemporary American life through the perspectives and experiences of the young women I met along the way

    - Eva Verbeeck