Fahey/Klein Gallery presents "Julia Fullerton-Batten: Tableaux," a solo exhibition featuring photographs from two major series, "Old Father Thames" and "Frida: A Singular Vision of Beauty and Pain." Internationally renowned for her elaborate and cinematic photographic tableaux, Fullerton-Batten constructs meticulously lit scenes that oscillate between history and imagination.
Drawing inspiration from the visual language of cinema and painting, her photographs meditate on moments of time and place with theatrical visual narratives. The exhibition demonstrates the artist's characteristic blend of historical research and cinematic imagination, transforming documented events into living tapestries of costumes, light, and gesture.
In "Old Father Thames," Fullerton-Batten turns her lens toward the legendary river that has shaped London's character and prosperity for more than two millennia. "I live close to the banks of the Thames, in west London, and I became interested in the historical accounts that connect the river to the city. Its constantly changing appearance, with the tides, seasons, and activities that animate it, is a source of inspiration. But it's the history of the Thames and its stories that attract me," she writes.
The artist explains that these countless whimsical, idiosyncratic, and tragic events compose the history of one of the world's most important rivers. "It has served as a source of water and food, as a communication artery and psychological boundary," she notes. From baptisms and Frost Fairs to stories of death, suicide, and children searching the banks, Fullerton-Batten recreates the river's "numerous individual stories" with her distinctive mixture of historical research and cinematic imagination. Photographed as if each scene were observed firsthand, each image reconstructs an episode from the river's past.
Since Frida Kahlo's death in 1954, she has become an enduring symbol of creative resilience. For Fullerton-Batten, Kahlo's legacy, her "fearless self-expression," and her deep love for Mexico became the driving force behind a body of work paying homage to the artist's spirit and homeland. "Her legacy as an artist reminds us to embrace our own uniqueness, confront our challenges head-on, and find beauty in the most unexpected places," explains Fullerton-Batten.
The photographer emphasizes that Kahlo's paintings remain testimony to art's enduring power to heal, inspire, and provoke change. "Through her works, Kahlo offers us a unique perspective on Mexican culture, identity, and the human condition, leaving an indelible mark on art history, both national and global," she adds.
After her 2022 retrospective in Mexico City, Fullerton-Batten fell in love with "the colors, the people, and the rhythm of life." Working with a local film costume designer, she selected authentic handcrafted Tehuana dresses from Oaxaca, the same clothing Kahlo wore to express her national and cultural pride. The photographs were taken in extraordinary locations, including an abandoned mansion in the heart of Mexico City, Luis Barragán's residence, centuries-old haciendas, and the mystical "Island of Dolls" in Xochimilco.
These images blend tribute and invention, transforming Kahlo's cultural identity into a sumptuous contemporary dreamscape. The series demonstrates Fullerton-Batten's ability to merge historical reverence with artistic innovation, creating a visual narrative that honors the Mexican artist's enduring influence.
Julia Fullerton-Batten was born in 1970 in Bremen, Germany, and grew up in Germany and the United States before settling in the United Kingdom, where she studied photography and assisted professional photographers for five years. Since 2005, she has established herself as a major voice in art photography. Her works are part of permanent collections at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne, and the Parliamentary Art Collection at the Houses of Parliament, among others.
"Julia Fullerton-Batten: Tableaux" runs from November 20, 2025, to January 17, 2026, at Fahey/Klein Gallery, located at 148 N La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036.
