Petra Collins and Alexa Demie's Fairy Tale Visionary ⚢º☆◦˚ º✧.˚◦☽◦˚⭐︎

In this blog post, I will be looking into the dreamy visions of artist/photographer Petra Collins and actress/singer/model Alexa Demie in their brand new book 'Fairy Tales'. I have been so excited about this project since I first saw that Petra and Alexa were working together but had no clue they would be releasing an entire book! Although the book isn't out yet I just couldn't wait to talk about it, so this post will be my initial thoughts on what we already know of the book and what pictures we have.


I adore Petra Collins' work, it's so ethereal and magical, yet also contemporary, and Alexa Demie is such a perfect muse for Petra's vision, as she seems to fit so naturally into Petra's dreamy visuals. I have seen Petra's approach to art and photography being described as 'The Female Gaze' which is an idea and concept that I think is very present in Petra's work, and something she is very aware of when portraying her visions, whether it be a direct portrayal of femininity or subtle undertones that are announced through colour, lighting, editing, etc. When I look at her images I feel as though I have entered a world of beauty, femininity and fantasy, a utopian alternate universe through the lens of a woman's eyes. Which is why this project of her's and Alexa's is so extra exciting to me, I think their collaborative vision is otherworldly and stunning. 


What we know of the book so far is that it depicts nine short stories inspired by the classic fairytales of Brother's Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, etc. with an erotic and modern twist. Each story is paired with a collection of photographs of Alexa Demie portraying characters such as fairies, sirens, elves, angels, nymphs and more, using makeup, costume and prosthetics to transform her into these celestial beings. Petra so perfectly blurs the line between modern and fantasy. Somehow she makes the contemporary and urban settings blend so seamlessly with the mythical and ethereal characters. This incongruous mix adds a surrealist essence to the compositions, creating a sense of unease and curiosity which is especially present in the images below of the siren in a hospital or lab setting, and the one in the fish tank in what appears to be an abandoned garage. 




My favourite photographs from the collection so far are the ones below of Alexa wearing Petra's own-brand clothing (Sorry Not Sorry) and looks as if she is a fairy or elf. I love the colours in these, the pink and lime green compliment each other so well and both colours exude the ethereal, fairy-like energy being portrayed. The setting, like in most of the photos we've seen, is greatly contrasted to the character. Alexa is sat in a bare room kneeling and staring directly at the viewer, the lighting is golden and she is sunlit, whereas in the background we see a man sitting at a desk with his back towards us, with a blue tint possibly from a computer screen. I think the addition of the man facing away from Alexa and the viewer is very clever and links back to this idea of the female gaze, as his gaze is not present and he doesn't play a dominant role in the image. I'm very intrigued to see what the short story behind these images will be!



The last thing I want to discuss in this post is the project overall and Alexa and Petra's combined creative direction. As I said previously, I think Petra and Alexa are the perfect duo as their aesthetics and ideas overlap; Petra creates whimsical, feminine compositions that are very dream-like and beautiful, and Alexa is a very spiritual person who loves and admires beautiful and visually pleasing things. Alexa clearly takes joy in the small details and presenting personality, whether it is her own or the character she is portraying, through makeup, costume, hair etc. This is also something Petra focuses on in her work, whilst also presenting herself and her ideas, she is primarily giving light to her muse's essence through visual mediums. In the characters so far we see two sides to them, they are both very fanciful and delicate yet exude strength and sexuality which is where eroticism comes into play, presented through costume and the addition of shibari (a Japanese style of bondage using rope). It is such a joy to see femininity and female sexuality expressed in a subtle way, through the eyes of women. I love this twist on fairytales, it is catering to an audience of daydreamers and fairytale/mythology lovers, as well as previous fans of Alexa Demie and Petra Collins. It is so clear to me how much fun Alexa and Petra had with this series which automatically enhances how amazing it will be (and already is), I am so excited to receive the book in October and I am sure I will have even more to say then.



Thank you for reading!! New posts coming soon...

Love, Bella ♡

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