Teenagers

Photos of Vulnerable Teen Boys and Their Bedrooms

For her latest photo series, Canadian artist Olivia Johnston entered the sacred domain of every teenager: their bedrooms. She snapped portraits of teen boys (sans shirts) and their living quarters, revealing their personalities in distinctly different ways. “I understand the uncomfortable nature of this series for my models — I am essentially forcing them into incredibly vulnerable situations,” Johnston admits on her Behance website. “By placing each boy in a totally unfamiliar environment and asking him to remove his shirt I create a well-defined set of discomforts. Asking him if I can enter his bedroom and document it with my camera elicits added tension.” The vulnerability is certainly present, but several photos display a slight cockiness about the young men — perhaps a defense against the emotional and physical exposure, or an awkward, naive display of misplaced masculinity. Take a closer look at Johnston’s work in our gallery. … Read More

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

Today at Flavorpill, we met amazing teenage inventors. We read the top 10 literary quotes from The Simpsons. We got scientific with a Slinky. We showered 20 times after reading about the most contaminated surfaces in hotel rooms. We saw a new line of superhero-themed… Read More

Striking Vintage Photos of Teenage Greasers

Hair slicked back, faces clenched, hands tucked in leather jacket pockets — you can almost feel the tension between the photographer and these teen greasers, these James Dean wannabes, the dolled-up gals laughing over their shoulders. In fact, while photographer Joseph Sterling prowled the beach, the tattoo shops, the cafes, and other teenage hangouts in the late ’50s and early ’60s, he got roughed up. “Then they turned around and gave him a couple of dollars to bring back pictures,” Paul Berlanga of Chicago’s Stephen Daiter Gallery explains. Sterling was shooting his thesis for Chicago’s Institute of Design and captured a slice of history and raw vigor. Spotted by the Retronaut, check out these photos of beach-side make outs, double dates over ice cream floats, and girl gang night jaunts. … Read More