In the Frame: Petra Collins

What are you working on currently?

Petra Collins: ‘My book Star, which comes out with Rizzoli this April. It’s one of the most cinematic works I’ve made. I shot it like a feature film. It moves through fictional pop stars, obsession, fandom, performance and the violence of being seen.’

What ritual or routine keeps you going?

PC: ‘I don’t have a morning ritual. I’m always in a different place or, when I'm not away, I'm resting. I think my routine is not having one. I do try to go outside and touch grass within the first thirty minutes of waking up.’

What work of art made you see things differently?

PC: ‘Magyar Népmesék, which is a Hungarian animated folk-tale series. I watched it all the time as a child. The imagery is psychedelic and dark, with flattened perspectives and symbolic color. Watching it as an adult, I can see and feel the political landscape of the 1980s embedded in it, and the subtle ways the animators subverted that atmosphere through folklore and allegory. It has since deeply influenced my visual language.’

You work across so many creative mediums. What is the thread that ties it all together?

PC: ‘The gaze. Who is looking, who is being looked at, and what power sits inside that exchange. Whether it’s photography, film, books or exhibitions, I’m always circling the same question: what does it cost to be seen?’

Which artist or designer from history do you wish you knew more about?

PC: ‘I wish I knew more about women within folk art traditions, especially the anonymous makers whose work lived inside the domestic sphere. I’m fascinated by Victorian-era dollhouses and the way women used miniature interiors.’

What are you reading currently?

PC: ‘I just finished Possession by Annie Ernaux and bought The Image by Daniel J. Boorstin.’

What artists or designers are you excited about right now?

PC: ‘I love Sula Bermudez Silverman. Her work feels tactile and personal in a way that reminds me of folk traditions. It feels private but powerful.’

Your favourite view, anywhere in the world?

PC: ‘I love water, but I’m even more drawn to ugly environments. Suburban parking lots at sunset especially.’

Most memorable art or design show you’ve seen in the past year?

PC: ‘I recently went to a doll show hosted by the Verdugo Hills Doll Club, and it ended up being one of the most memorable art experiences I’ve had this year. I spent almost five hours there, looking through collectors’ worlds. What stayed with me most was the feeling of community. I loved chatting with the collectors, hearing how they found certain pieces, why they were drawn to them and what they were still searching for. It felt passionate. Generous. People were excited to share what they loved.’

What are your top picks from Christie’s right now?

PC: Morton Bartlett studied dolls and spent much of his career photographing them. These German dolls representing nuns are fascinating. They sold decades ago and are the ones that got away for me. I love the work of Matthew Barney, and this piece – with the almost accidental headless figure – has a tension to it, at odds with its glamour. The Cremaster Cycle works – all of them – are some of my favorite films and I would love to own a piece.