The main character of Julie Bullard is played by Cohen herself, based on a real-life childhood babysitter who left a lasting impression. “The actual Julie Bullard was my childhood babysitter and possibly the first woman I ever saw in real life with naturally blonde, curly hair,” says Cohen.
“She was my first introduction to glamour in any form. I was starstruck. Memories of her clothes, hair, makeup and home represent the essence of Britain in the 1990s and, for me, there was no one other than Martin to photograph the fragmented
re-creation of that fondly remembered warm environment.”
Martin Parr, Cohen’s favourite photographer, handles the visuals with his usual deadpan precision, and together they have built a fictional domestic world complete with prosthetic noses, vintage sets and staged scenes that echo the mood of old photo albums found on eBay.
There are 101 photographs in the book, all captioned by the fictional Julie in the final pages. Though the scenes are entirely fabricated, the emotional tone feels real, and there’s even a funeral at the end, with the caption: “You’d think Mr Kipling himself had died.” The book launched at Dover Street Market during Photo London, where Cohen and Parr were on hand to sign copies, and in dramatic fashion, it’s accompanied by a full-size sculpture of Parr photographing Cohen in her open casket, installed as part of the launch. The edition is limited to 2,500 copies.
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