Toronto-based photographer Petra Collins has been attracting some much-deserved attention as of late for her voyeuristic and sexually-charged feminist imagery. Currently finishing her first year at the Ontario College of Art and Design, the 19-year-old’s work has been featured in numerous publications and several exhibitions, including blogger-Wunderkind Tavi Gevinson’s ROOKIE endeavor.

Although born and raised in Toronto, Collins draws a lot of inspiration from her Eastern European roots. “My family is from Budapest,” she told us recently, as we sat down for a quick chat in T.O. “I feel that is my real home.”

This interest in film is what initially turned Collins on to photography at the age of sixteen. “I was never good at making a solid story,” the photographer admits, noting Czech New Wave film Sedmikrasky, about the coming of age of two girls, as one of her enduring muses. “I could always think up a beginning but never an end.” Reinterpreting the notion of cinematic story-telling through a single evocative image appealed to her as an alternative.

Anyone who has seen Collins’ work will immediately attest to the dreamy, film-like quality to many of the images. The viewer feels almost as though they are witnessing a fleeting privileged moment in the subject’s life, many of whom are young girls.

It’s this intimacy-bordering-on-eroticism which has attracted criticism from those who consider Collins’ work more exploitative than feminist. She says it shouldn’t matter either way. “Sexuality is an important part of maturity and growth during your teen years,” says Collins in response to her critics. “Naturally I gravitated towards that,” as the still-in-her-teens photographer continues to encounter many of the same first-time adult experiences as her subjects.

The authentic and personal nature to the Collins’ work seems as through it will continue to serve as a source of inspiration for the artist’s future work. “I’m still finding myself as a feminist and feminism plays a big part in my work,” she concludes. “I think the female is a subject I’ll be studying for a long time.” And as avid fans of Collins’ work, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

- James Lavapie

The holiday shopping season may be over but there’s a new book out that just might make it onto our early year “must-have” list. A beautiful hardcover release from Assouline, “Pioneers of the Possible” honors twenty of the world’s most inspiring women, spanning the last century through today. Part photo tome and part history manual, the book profiles 20 women who have made a lasting contribution to society, whether through social activism, spiritual guidance, or artistic creativity. The profiles include stories on everyone from Ella Fitzgerald, Frida Kahlo, Simone de Beauvoir and Wangari Maathai, to Estée Lauder, Helen Suzman and Zaha Hadid.

Author Angella Nazarian – who previously penned 2009′s “Life as a Visitor” (a compelling memoir and poetry book – inspires again, celebrating the collective fearless spirit of these extraordinary women, while the accompanying artwork and photography serve to further promote their impact and stories. It’s the type of book that will look good on your coffee table, but will make you feel good once you pick it up and delve into its pages.

“Pioneers of the Possible” features more than 100 illustrations over 160 pages and is available in hardcover now at select Assouline boutiques worldwide and online.

- TC

We are loving this brilliant series shot by photographer Michael Wolf, called “Copy Artists,” which sheds light on the undeniably talented but often uncomfortable work of Chinese artists who work in the field of reproduction. The thirty-five photos in Wolf’s series showcase artists posing with their counterfeit masterpieces of art in ultra-urban settings. The shots feature what appear to be spot-on replicas of everything from DaVinci’s Mona Lisa, to Lichtenstein’s Reverie. Although Wolf was born in Germany, he has lived and worked in China for ten years, allowing him to document a world few have ever had the opportunity to witness, let alone, photograph.

The photographs not only highlight the amazing technical skill of the artists, but also serve as a commentary on China’s almost incomparable power as a manufacturing nation, taking the ubiquitous “Made in China” moniker to an entirely new level. We love the tension created by the mere thought of removing priceless works of art (authentic or not), from their usually pristine positions on the exclusive walls of galleries and museums to dirty alleyways and street corners. And while we may not agree with the idea of “copy artists,” we can’t help but tip our hats to them for their often skilled and detailed work. Whether or not they are aware of the implications (and impact) of their replicas is yet to be seen, but perhaps just having “their” work seen at all is enough of a reason to do it for now. Check out all of the photos in Wolf’s “Copy Artists” series and more of Wolf’s photography at his website: www.photomichaelwolf.com.

- James Lavapie

Every year we look forward to receiving our copy of LE BOOK — an annual compendium and reference guide for the creative industry — not only for the wealth of information contained within its pages (because honestly, it’s like our Wikipedia for contacts) but also for its beautiful artist-contributed packaging. This year, LE BOOK’s 2011 New York edition is dressed by one of the most recognizable artists of the twentieth century: graffiti artist and neo-expressionist painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. At once an important resource and art collector’s item, this year’s LE BOOK set showcases Basquiat’s vibrant vision as well as his life as an urban artist who was able to capture and expose the essence of the world around him all while sharing his particular perspective.

This year’s LE BOOK is curated by Tamra Davis (director of the recently released film tribute to Basquiat called The Radiant Child) with art direction by Shepard Fairey’s STUDIO NUMBER ONE. Find out more at lebook.com.

In the meantime, we’ll be attending LE BOOK: Connections next month in New York. The event brings together thousands of professionals in New York, Paris, London, Berlin and Los Angeles for an opportunity for networking, portfolio-viewing, trend-spotting and general idea-sharing (think huge party/pow-wow with photographers, illustrators, publications, agencies and artist reps). This year’s “Connections” event takes place from June 8th to 9th at 82 Mercer in SoHo. Click HERE to register.

With the immense popularity of street style blogs, the release of Bill Cunningham New York is not only a perfectly-timed account of the life and legacy of one of the first — and arguably most important — street style photographers, but also a thought-provoking piece that looks into just what an image — and an image maker — represent. Already playing in select cities (and opening on April 22nd in Canada), the film, by Richard Press, sheds an unprecedented light on the notoriously private personal life of the octogenarian New York Times photographer. We were quite surprised by the humble existence in which Cunningham lives; a stark contrast to the sheer extravagance he is constantly capturing with his lens. His small studio apartment is modestly furnished with wall-to-wall filing cabinets of his life’s work and a mattress, nothing else. “If you don’t take money, they can’t tell you what to do,” Cunningham exclaims in an attempt to justify his almost monk-like subsistence. Cunningham’s philosophy is refreshing and endearing in a society where more is more.

Cunningham’s importance is perhaps best embodied by the Anna Wintour’s words which open the film’s trailer: “We all get dressed for Bill.” This notion is reinforced by the impressive roster of normally interview-shy personalities willing to speak out of their love for Bill, including Tom Wolfe, Brooke Astor, and David Rockefeller. We love the film for its defense of fashion against those who simply write off the well-dressed as frivolous or superficial. Cunningham is “interested in clothes” and recognizes that without fashion, “it would be a pretty dreary world.” And so, for the fashion and the photography, but also for the colorful insight (pun intended), Bill Cunningham New York is undoubtedly a must-watch for fashion fanatics and documentary-lovers alike. Check out the trailer below:

- James Lavapie