Every now and then, I respond to an open call.
Most of the time, I enjoy browsing the Open Call section on the Paris Collage Collective website, lovingly curated by the wonderful Petra Zehner—an artist whose work I admire deeply.
The theme of this particular open call caught my eye: Create a collage of one of your heroes—real or fictional. That felt like an easy entry point for me. Ever since my teenage years, I’ve been fascinated by the 1960s—a time I was, unfortunately, too young to experience firsthand, having been born in 1974. But to me, the sixties were a BAM moment in history, when suddenly everything seemed possible. Sex, fashion, music—even putting a man on the moon. Not even the sky was the limit.
When Icons Speak to You
One of the most iconic faces of the Swinging Sixties was Twiggy. I’ve always loved that photograph of her by Bert Stern—one of the great photographers of that era. There’s something in her gaze: a mix of innocence, surprise, boldness, and pure presence. That image made me want to live her life, to be part of that time when women started pushing against the boundaries they had been held in for so long. It was about claiming freedom—joy, rebellion, and a sense of adventure. Finally, women could begin to imagine doing whatever they wanted.
Twiggy on the Moon — A Rebellion Written in Collage
In the collage itself, Twiggy’s iconic face is boldly superimposed onto the moon, as if she were the first woman to set foot there—before the men ever arrived. Around her, the astronaut floats, and a vintage ad line asks: “What’s going to happen in 1965? Will a man reach the moon?” This layering isn’t just playful nostalgia—it’s a deliberate rewrite of history, a visual statement that the women of that era were already there, breaking new ground, long before the space race’s spotlight turned to the male astronauts. It’s about reclaiming space—literal and figurative—and reminding us that the revolution wasn’t just on Earth, but in the very sky we aimed for.
As I said, I’m endlessly drawn to that period—the Summer of Love, Woodstock, the dark sound of The Doors, the mesmerizing tunes of Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix setting his guitar on fire in front of an audience who knew something was changing, even if they couldn’t fully grasp it yet. Of course, I know that even back then, many people were stuck in boring jobs, household chores, and old traditions. But figures like Twiggy opened the windows wide. They let fresh air in—and with it, the bold message: Here we are. As we are. Deal with it.
Stepping into the Frame
Working on open calls is always a bit tricky for me. A set theme can feel limiting—it puts me in a frame I sometimes struggle with. I often feel intimidated by the potential audience, knowing my work will be seen alongside others I might admire or consider ‘better’. But this time, I managed to show up—and I didn’t miss the deadline. That’s a small victory in itself.
This collage was created as part of the BAM Open Call by Paris Collage Collective. The call invited artists to portray a personal hero—real or fictional. I chose Twiggy, not only as an icon of the 1960s, but as a symbol of boldness, rebellion, and possibility. #PCCBAM