On August 28, 2024, NOW Art Founder Carmen Zella sat down with artist Petra Cortright for a live conversation about public art and LUMINEX 3.0 on Instagram (@nowart_la). RSVP here for future LUMINEX Artist Talks.
Below is a transcript of the video:
Carmen Zella (CZ): Hi everyone. This is Carmen Zella and Petra Cortright. We’re a little late, but I’m excited to have a conversation about Luminex, Petra, and to introduce everyone to Petra’s work.
Petra Cortright (PC): Yeah, thank you for having me.
CZ: Yeah, this is going to be great. Thank you all for being patient.
I’m just going to adjust the camera. Oh, there’s a bunch of waves, so we can wave back. Hi, everyone! I’m in their amazing studio—well, Marc’s studio and Petra’s studio.
PC: Yes, I have an office upstairs, but the baby’s asleep, so we’re in here.
CZ: Petra is an incredible artist and also a new mother.
I’m really excited to have this conversation because as an artist, you bring so much information into the piece you’re framing for Luminex. It also connects to your experience with motherhood—it’s your second child.
PC: Yeah. When we first started talking about this, I mentioned that there are some Chronicles of Narnia references. I read a lot of children’s books with my boys, and there’s a specific reference to the Sea of Flowers in the film.
I’ve been working on this project in sleep-deprived fragments, which almost added a surreal level to it. I think it actually helped.
CZ: I want to back up a little and have you introduce yourself as an artist. Can you also frame your association with public art? You’re primarily known as a filmmaker and painter.
PC: I’ve been posting things on the internet for the last 20 years, since I was 15. The internet has always been a public platform for me. It was a place to share my work where people could see it, sometimes with little context or explanation.
When I first posted videos on YouTube, the descriptions were vague or odd. It wasn’t positioned in an art context. I’ve always viewed the internet as a public forum for art and enjoyed placing work in unexpected ways.
CZ: Did you get comments or interactions from people?
PC: Yes. Back then, as a woman online, you get a lot of nasty comments. I used to respond equally or worse than what people said. I actually liked talking trash on the internet. That was around 2007–2010. Today, you’d probably get banned for that language.
For the Luminex video, it’s just a landscape, so it’s neutral. People can’t really attack a landscape video.
CZ: That’s hilarious. So is this your first time projecting work on a building or outdoors?
PC: Yes, outdoors and on such a large scale, which really attracted me to the project. I think it’s aesthetically beautiful in the context of downtown LA.
I did a project in Chicago around 2019 called Art on the Mart. That projection was huge and had to be super site-specific because of the building’s windows. The video had to oversaturate colors to work.
CZ: So it was more tailored to that specific building.
PC: Exactly. Luminex has smoother, blank surfaces, which makes the projection different and more versatile. The video for Luminex will look good both on screen and projected.
CZ: Let’s talk about the piece. You mentioned Narnia references. What excites you about the surreal elements, and how did the urban landscape influence your work?
PC: Even though it’s in an urban setting, it felt right to reference California. One scene is inspired by the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara, where I’m from. My friend James Whipple made the music, and he had a similar reference independently. It worked well for the project.
CZ: To give context, Petra’s work will be at Site 4, near Grand Avenue and Pico. The building is extremely long, so viewers will have to move their heads from left to right to take in the panoramic landscape.
PC: Yes. The building’s dimensions made a panoramic landscape the natural choice.
CZ: You’ve really used the building site in your selection of camera angles and composition.
PC: Yes. I work on a super wide screen, which matches the building’s dimensions and helps the projection feel immersive.
CZ: Can you talk about your process and how you built this technically?
PC: I use a landscape-building software on Steam. It’s simple and I use a lot of default settings. Pushing a program’s defaults has always been part of my work. It’s like a game—how can I make something my own with the simplest tools?
The film combines finished terrain with work-in-progress elements. It moves slowly and dreamily.
CZ: How long does the film run sequentially?
PC: It’s 25 minutes. There are two worlds that alternate. It’s not a heavy narrative—very ambient. Slow movement allows viewers to look, have a conversation, and then notice changes.
CZ: That’s beautiful. It slows time down and allows people in a busy urban environment to pause.
PC: Exactly. Public viewing involves other people and noise. I wanted to create a peaceful experience without pressure to watch straight through.
CZ: That’s wonderful. Is there anything you want the audience to take away, or connect with, in Landscape Frequencies?
PC: I hope people have a nice night. I don’t like to impose expectations. Art is personal. People can draw their own conclusions. Either you feel something or you don’t. Both are okay.
CZ: I agree. It will be amazing to see this work on the wall.
PC: I’m so excited.
CZ: Thank you all for joining. Petra Cortright. We look forward to seeing everyone at Luminex. For more information, visit luminexla.com or luminex.la. Thank you and have a good night!