Petra Cortright Santa Barbara, CA, b. 1986

Overview

Petra Cortright (b. 1986, Santa Barbara, CA) is an American digital painter based in Los Angeles. She studied Fine Arts at Parsons School of Design, The New School, New York (2008) and the California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA (2004).

 

Petra Cortright's core practice is the creation and distribution of digital and physical images using consumer or corporate software. She became renowned for making self-portrait videos that use her computer's webcam and default effects tools, which she would then upload to YouTube and caption with spam text. Cortright's paintings on aluminum, linen, paper, or acrylic are created in Photoshop using painting software and appropriated images, icons, and marks. The digital files are endlessly modifiable, but at a "decisive moment", they are translated into two-dimensional objects. They become finite, yet their range of motifs and marks, and their disorienting perspectives and dimensions suggest a dynamic change.

 

Her work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Doota Plaza, Seoul; LIMA, Amsterdam; UTA Artist Space, Los Angeles; University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh; and Depart Foundation, Los Angeles. She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions at international venues including the MoMA New York; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Ludwig Museum, Budapest; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; KM - Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Kunsthaus Langenthal, Langenthal; New Museum, New York; 12th Biennale de Lyon, Lyon; and SJ01 Biennial, San Jose.

Works
  • Petra Cortright, Athos adress Internet communication_bank foreclosures banjo-kazooie stratagy, 2021
    Petra Cortright
    Athos adress Internet communication_bank foreclosures banjo-kazooie stratagy, 2021
    Handmade digital painting on anodized aluminum
    121.92 x 97.79 cm
  • Petra Cortright, channel nine TV australia +chatserver +linux +download "cheech & chong”, 2021
    Petra Cortright
    channel nine TV australia +chatserver +linux +download "cheech & chong”, 2021
    Digital painting on anodized aluminum
    91.44h x 61.59w cm
  • Petra Cortright, cinescape online_class of 1993/cleaning tips to remove dried tar on automobile, 2021
    Petra Cortright
    cinescape online_class of 1993/cleaning tips to remove dried tar on automobile, 2021
    Handmade digital painting on anodized aluminum
    74.30 x 121.92 cm
  • Petra Cortright, "oUTER BANK_+ovid +metamorphoses_Pablo Pragasam/ray_of_light-mp3, 2019
    Petra Cortright
    "oUTER BANK_+ovid +metamorphoses_Pablo Pragasam/ray_of_light-mp3, 2019
    Handmade digital painting on Belgian linen
    124 x 250 x 6 cm
  • Petra Cortright, REEBOX CLASSICS_Sarasota Florida/+"teacher pages”_TOP 25, 2019
    Petra Cortright
    REEBOX CLASSICS_Sarasota Florida/+"teacher pages”_TOP 25, 2019
    Digital painting on Belgian linen
    126 x 124 x 5 cm
  • Petra Cortright, two smoking barrels/"Urban Legends”_+visual +cafe +symantec +serialz +warez +appz, 2019
    Petra Cortright
    two smoking barrels/"Urban Legends”_+visual +cafe +symantec +serialz +warez +appz, 2019
    Digital painting on Belgian linen
    126 x 124 x 5 cm
Exhibitions