
Pop Pills
- Publisher
- Dewi Lewis Publishing
- Year
- 2016
- ISBN
- 9781907893896
- Specifications
- Hardcover
24 x 18 cm
228 pages
Over 100 colour photographs and extensive illustrations
Afterword by Laia Abril
Featured in PDN's Notable Photobooks of the Year
One in five under 18 year olds in the USA is diagnosed as having a mental condition which translates itself into behavioral problems. Often this is treated with medication which can start from an extremely young age. Over a six-year period Bapitiste Lignel followed the progress of nine American teenagers with an array of pathologies which lead to behavior problems such as ADHD and OCD as well as depression and anxiety. In candid interviews the teenagers talk about their diagnoses and the impact that their medical treatment has had on their lives. Photographs are combined with elements found in popular culture and social media, showing us what image is reflected back from society - often a negative one. Far from trivializing the difficulties these young people face, this combination brings additional voices to the narrative, and broadens its scope. It contributes to drawing a balanced picture of a complex topic, often simplified and stigmatized by the media.