Censorship is big right now. With the ever growing numbers of us that flock to social media daily, there has been a clamping down on accounts and images deemed to be inappropriate. It happened to Rihanna, and it also happened to Petra Collins, a Canadian photographer that had her Instagram account removed. She wrote a rather elegant reply which you can read on her website.
Sexuality and the female body are central themes that run through her work. What started as taking photos at high school soon became a full blown career, with Collins shooting for publications including Vice Magazine, Vogue Italia and Miss Vogue. It was her collaboration with super brand American Apparel that caused the biggest fracas though – last year she designed T shirts for the label and there was one (vagina and hand in masturbatory position with blood) that really shocked. It is clear from her full spectrum of work, whether that be for magazines, or brands like Urban Outfitters, that it is what is hidden from society that is most interesting for Petra Collins. The fact that she landed her first solo show earlier this year is testament to the fact that we are not as offended as the censors think we are, to menstrual blood and pubic hair. In ignoring the haters and focusing on what goes on behind the scenes, especially with teenagers and the pre-pubescent, in her “The Teenage Gaze” artwork she has created a highly truthful and honest series of images of teen life, and especially what it feels like for a girl to be growing up.