Petra Collins: DISCHARGE

In her highly anticipated book Discharge, Canadian-born, New York–based artist and photographer Petra Collins (born 1992) presents images of self-discovery and femininity that explore the emotional, complex intersection of life online and off. Responding to the ubiquity of social media, Collins offers images of unflinching honesty--girls on the brink of adulthood taking selfies, applying lip gloss, pleasuring themselves, or lounging in childhood bedrooms amid piles of stuffed animals--which explore the private and public aspects of growing up as a woman at a moment when female bodies are ubiquitously hyper-mediated by Photoshop and social media. “I'm used to being told by society that I must regulate my body to fit the norm," Collins writes in her introductory essay on censorship and social media. From there, the book deconstructs that norm through her intimate photographs of friends--photographs that, rather than counter the male gaze, document female subjects processing it. The young Collins uses film, lending her photographs, in spite of their inclusion of iPhones and laptops, a 70s aesthetic, a romantic nostalgia.

BB Dakota sent Petra Collins, NYC based artist/curator, her close friends, Julia and Mayan, and her sister, Anna, on a roadtrip through the Deep South to explore and document the importance of dance as a means of creative expression for young girls across America. Petra is the founder and curator of The Ardorous, an online art collective showcasing work by emerging female artists. Shooting from the age of 15, her images are fueled with self-discovery and femininity, and explore the complex intersection of life as a young woman online and off. Collins’ images offer an unflinching honesty, exploring the privacies and publicities of growing up as a woman at a moment when female bodies are ubiquitously hyper- mediated by Photoshop and social media. This 5-part "On The Road" series takes a behind-the-scenes look at Petra’s process directing the "Making Space" documentary, as she and her crew dive into the local flavor of each city they pass through, from New Orleans to Death Valley. Visit Us: http://bbdakota.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/bbdakota Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbdakota Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/bbdakota/ Facebook:https://facebook.com/BBDakota 1:21-2:20 "Rude Boy" performed by Mr Twin Sister 3:01-4:31 "Anna" performed by Will Butler