Shot outdoors in Louisiana, Arizona and Colorado many of Magnusson’s female subjects stand in angelic white gowns while their fathers cling tight to them dressed in their Sunday best.
Fathers pledge to help their daughters keep their virginity until marriage @davidmagnusson http://t.co/J72uetOWNg pic.twitter.com/4ZySgTYZau
Each girl in the project has attended a purity ball – where young ladies pledge to save sex, and sometimes even kisses, for marriage.
On his website, Magnusson elaborates on the commitments made at these predominantly Christian ceremonies.
“During a Purity Ball young girls promise to ‘live pure lives before God’ and to remain virgins until marriage. In return, their fathers sign a commitment promising to protect their daughters’ chastity. Sometimes rings are exchanged as a symbol of their vows.”
Portraits of Fathers With Their Daughters Who Have Pledged Virginity Until… http://t.co/JMXSMDw6xQ
pic.twitter.com/dSlWlShPSR @davidmagnusson
— Alyssa Coppelman (@AlyssaCoppelman) April 30, 2014
Magnusson also reveals that while making the project many of his preconceived judgements toward Purity Balls were challenged.
“When I first heard about the Purity Balls I imagined American fathers terrified of anything that might hurt their daughters or their families honour. But as I learnt more, I understood that the fathers, like all parents, simply wanted to protect the ones that they love – in the best way they know how.”
Magnusson also said it was “often the girls themselves” who had chosen to attend the balls.
“They had made their decisions out of their own conviction and faith, in many cases with fathers who didn’t know what a Purity Ball was before first being invited by their daughters.”
At purity balls, virgins promise their dads they’ll stay pure until they marry (someone else): http://t.co/a6Wsf8daDh pic.twitter.com/9HYpvAbbix
The portraits are all included in the photographer’s book, Purity.
“In Purity I wanted to create portraits so beautiful that the girls and their fathers could be proud of the pictures in the same way they are proud of their decisions – while someone from a different background might see an entirely different story in the very same photographs.”
Purity is Magnuson’s first book and the portraits have led to the artist’s first major solo exhibition at Fotografiska – The Swedish Museum of Photography in Stockholm.
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