My Hero

BCM304

Who is your hero?

Describe their practice.

Petra is a 29-year-old artist, actress, model, photographer and director. Her work has a clear artistic vision and aesthetic that is hyper-feminine with a dreamlike and recognisable look. Her work is stretched through many different branches of the creative industries, and she is currently working on her debut feature film. Petra has worked since she was 15 years old and made a name and brand for herself by maintaining her iconic aesthetic through all her creative endeavours.

(Fairytales ft. Alexa Demie By Petra Collins)

How are they situated in their field?

Petra is well known in the entertainment industry, especially among young feminists. Being popular with younger crowds and being young herself, Petra has been able to work amongst other popular young celebrities.

Are they influential in this field? How did they become influential?

As previously mentioned her work relates to a young usually female audience, thus connecting her with very influential people. Her work with popular celebrities and teen idols shows her impact on mainstream media. Working with celebrities such as; Alexa Demie, Olivia Rodrigo, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and shooting for big brands like Gucci, Mac Cosmetics, Vogue, Elle and Rolling Stone magazine. Being connected to and an aesthetic builder for these projects cements her influential status in the creative industries.

What is their contribution?

Petra is not only known for her aesthetic but her commentary on feminist issues through her photography and artworks. Exploring themes of gender inequality and sexualisation and objectification of women by photographing scenes that may seem uncomfortable or taboo to modern society.

What are their working methods?

She’s someone who curates but is also an artist and a model. She works in an encouraging and relaxed atmosphere with elaborate sets and costumes. She works intertwined with the models/actors, sharing the space. In an interview with Nowness she comments on her method as a choreographed dance between them a process that she says involves “the way that I move and how my subjects react to that”.

What materials do they work with? What are the ideas they work with?

One thing I especially admire about Petra Collins is how she caters to the female gaze, her works often comment on a part of the female experience in a way that is comforting and beautiful. She uses a lot of vintage cameras to achieve her dreamy aesthetic and incorporates otherworldly elements into shooting, mainly with female-identifying models. She’s also inspired heavily by movies, especially of the feminist cult genre, which is reflected clearly in her work.

Do they have any advice?

In an interview with Hellogiggles, Petra’s advice to other aspiring young feminist artists was to just do it, without thinking too much. As well as allowing for mistakes, and not being too hard on yourself.

What is the ‘shape’ of their practice? (e.g. Peaks and troughs, successes, and failures)

Petra has been producing work in the creative industry since she was 15 years old. During that time she has managed to establish a recognisable brand and respectable reputation in the creative industry. Her successes only continue to grow as she creates more and ventures into new creative practices and collaborates with more popular creative people.