# Warped Retro Portraits The Art of Julie Cockburn Blurs Retro Portraits By Tia Clarke | Published 2013-02-20 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/julie-cockburn References: [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Cockburn-Artist/259411217423779) & [juliecockburn](http://www.juliecockburn.com) Artist Julie Cockburn specialises in taking [retro photographs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/back-to-basics-ii), like your awkward old school photo and warping them beyond recognition. Some of Julie's work even delves into digitally distorting images from the turn of the century. The collection of arresting images have been manipulated using [collage techniques, cutting and embroidery](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olga-de-amaral). In some of the images, portraits of conservative women are warped and spiraled beyond recognition, whilst in others a child's school portrait is manipulated so that her face is a series of triangular kaleidoscopic features. Other images in the series see the faces of the subjects made completely void, with geometric shapes surrounding their heads. These images are a timely comment on the pressure we place on women to always look their best, by completely distorting them. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 67% | Activity: 21% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Warped Retro Portraits:** Opportunity for artists to push the boundaries of traditional portraiture by distorting and manipulating retro photographs. - **Collage Techniques:** Innovation potential for artists to explore new ways of creating art through the combination of cutting, embroidery, and collage. - **Digitally Distorted Images:** Emerging trend in contemporary art to digitally manipulate and distort vintage images, offering opportunities for experimentation and commentary on societal norms. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Art:** Artists can leverage the trend of warped retro portraits to create unique and thought-provoking pieces that challenge traditional notions of portraiture. - **Photography:** Photographers can explore the use of collage techniques and digital manipulation to create visually striking and conceptually rich images. - **Fashion:** Fashion designers and brands can draw inspiration from the distorted and manipulated retro portraits to create avant-garde designs that challenge societal beauty standards. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Time-Altering Digital Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/time-machine-feature.md) - [Stunning Origami Portraits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/origami-portaits.md) - [Glamorous Artful Bronze Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sweet-jane.md) - [AI-Generated Poetic Photo Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/emilio-alarcn.md) - [Vintage Photo Makers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retrova.md) - [Stylized Portrait Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/face-to-all.md) - [Imperfect Photography Celebrations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nonnas-cam.md) - [AI-Generated Retrofuturistic Objects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/retrofuturistic-objects.md) - [Digital Archetype Sculptures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/christian-rex-van-minnen-1.md)