Barely Legal

BARELY LEGAL

©Paola de Grenet

“Barely legal” is a series of portraits of young women aged between 19 and 21.

At 21, everywhere in the world, you are legally an adult.

Based on my memories of those times I look for signs of eagerness to know and conquer the world outside the safety of your home, and the fears and uncertainty typical of the unknown and of this age.

Women in their twenties are more liberated and educated than ever; freed from the pressure of becoming mothers at such early age, they can achieve more in the academic and professional fields.

Nonetheless as Dr. Leslie Bell (psychotherapist and author of Hard to Get) says, they are also more “confused, conflicted and uncertain” and “They have trouble letting down their guard, difficulty being vulnerable and expressing their needs, and, despite their professed desire for satisfying sex and relationships, they put a great deal of energy into protecting themselves from getting hurt…”.

The portraits look to find harmony in between the controlling forces of the mind and the natural and sexual power of the body.