ICP Teen Academy

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Ruby Patterson



As a teen born and raised in NYC, I have been bombarded with clutter–on the street, in my home, and everywhere in the city where space is an issue. While the clutter in my life is stressful, I was compelled to capture its beauty to ease the burden. Capturing and preserving collections is embedded in my way of life, with my mother being an archivist and my father having a love for collecting. Even from a young age I was cataloging my art supplies. This collection of photos serves as a tribute to my love for collections, clutter, and preservation. I chose to document adolescents and their collections because of my fascination with how collecting is embedded in the lives of teens-especially from NYC. Throughout this project, I discovered how clutter is a burden, coping skill, and an instinct for NYC teens.
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Ruby Patterson is a photographer born and raised in Queens, New York. She is currently an Imagemaker student at the International Center of Photography. She has founded and led her high-school’s photography club, completed an art conservation internship at the Guggenheim Museum, and interned at ThoughtMatter, a graphic design company, where she created a set of photo postcards. She discovered her love for photography as a young teen after her aunt passed down a film camera to her. Since then she has become even more passionate about her craft. Ruby explores street photography, portraits, and architectural photography, but has especially honed in on documentarian photography, as she gravitates towards capturing the small details in her life.