Petra CortrightULTRAMARINE UNDERWORLD HEARTBROKEN HARDCORE

Deeply inspired by her love for flora and greenery, Cortright focuses in this series on the beauty and simplicity of their composition, illuminated by a unique Californian light. Botanical Study #1 displays a moving image of changing plants and flowers, captured with remarkable detail using digital brushes, thus echoing the tradition of botanical illustration and the scientific practice of compiling herbariums. Within this work Cortright draws from historical methods of depicting, organising, and categorising the natural world, with each plant artfully set against ethereal gradients of colour, as if floating in a dreamlike void.

Within her practice Cortright blends both digital and traditional mediums to explore the themes of internet culture as well as self-representation. Her breakthrough came with the 2007 project VVEBCAM, where she used a webcam to capture herself navigating through various digital filters. This work unexpectedly gained attention when YouTube decided to take it down in 2011, citing the "offensive" nature of the keywords she used, including explicit language and sexual references—a decision Cortright argued was a critical part of her artistic expression.

Following this incident, Cortright's focus shifted towards digital painting, employing Photoshop to alter, warp, and digitally "paint" over images she finds online. These creations, which oscillate between representational imagery and complete abstraction, are eventually printed onto aluminum panels for display.

Cortright, an alumna of the Parsons School of Design and the California College of the Arts, has showcased her work in prestigious venues like the Walker Art Center, the Hammer Museum, and the Whitechapel Gallery. Her participation in notable exhibitions such as the 2009 Venice Biennale and the 2013 Lyon Biennale, along with her artworks fetching high sums at auctions, underscores her significant impact on the contemporary art scene.