Astrophe invites Millie and Georgia to participate in a CONVERSATION pertaining to their practice as artists and female self-concept. Exploring themes of creative ideation, design development and influences, this interview seeks to investigate and celebrate their practice and emotional response to the concept of womanhood, patriarchy and visual expression.

How does your work explore feminine power, and what intricate concepts within such do you touch upon? Why do you believe these are important to navigate, as both a means of self-expression and exclamation to the public?

M: My work is primarily centred in character play & fantasy & often presents women who are incredibly hyperbolised…sometimes artificial. I want my audience to feel I am both celebrating these women in all their brashness & using them as a vehicle to explore ideas around the constructedness of gender & the ways we perform it.

G: I want my subjects to hold a strong and active role within the photograph as opposed to being a passive subject to be gazed upon. This is expressed in a number of different ways such as choice of styling, body language, movement and eye contact. Something as simple as the subject holding strong eye contact with the camera/viewer helps to communicate their strength and ownership of the space within the image.

How did you migrate into becoming an artist? What is your earliest memory of creating, your inspiration and how this translates into your aesthetic today? What is it about your particular medium that is so gratifying for your psyche?

M: I am inspired by queerness & I am inspired by women. Women my life, in the books I read, in the media I consume. Those I spy on in the shopping mall of my hometown, my grandmother’s friends. I remember coming home from school as a young girl and using dads PC desktop to type “1960s women” or “Hollywood fashion” into the search engine. I’d save hundreds of images into albums & fill notebooks with drawings of characters inspired by them, giving them names & personality traits. I guess these are my earliest memories of creating. The work I currently make is gratifying because it feeds this inner child & her imagination.

G: Getting here has been a slow but steady journey with It taking 10+ years to go from forming an initial interest in photography to now working full time as a photographer. I am inspired by the idea of creating something that does not yet exist and also quite simply by people. The whole process leading up to the finished image is really gratifying for me, it can be a bit of a rollercoaster but I enjoy experiencing all the emotions from pre shoot nerves through to the satisfaction of having created something I am proud of.

Art serves as both a catharsis and a call-to-action. It’s a profound concept that something so deeply personal translated into a subjective art-form can resonate and expand social consciousness. How have you found your practice and/or identity to operate in subverting the patriarchy as a female identifying artist? What have you found both unifying and invigorating as a purveyor of message?

M: There is no one way to be female. There is no right or wrong way to be a woman. Exploration of the female identity through role-play has always felt subversive to me because it makes a mockery of the boxes patriarchy attempts to place us in.

G: I don’t actually identify as an artist as my work sits more in the commercial realm but I think all imagery whether it is considered art or not, plays a part in shaping and changing social consciousness. The pool of imagery that celebrates the soft/pretty/delicate side of female identity is expansive and not something I personally relate to. I want to see more imagery that explores other sides of femininity and creates a more fully formed idea of what it is to be a women so that is what I focus on conveying in my work.

Can you tell us a little about your creative process as individuals and together & any upcoming projects you have?

M: I’d long been a fan of G’s work before we even started collaborating. Our process has always been super easy as our aesthetic worlds really compliment one another, so I think there has been a lot of trust between the both of us from the get go that we were going to create something we’d both be really proud of. No upcoming projects set in stone yet but so many ideas!

G: My creative process with Millie is quite different from how I normally work. I generally like to be in control (Virgo energy) and assume the role of creative director but when working with Millie I take more of a supporting role which is a refreshing change. It is a smooth process because our aesthetics are so compatible and I think we both understand where the other is coming from. We don’t have any current projects on the go but no doubt we will be scheming again soon.

Aside from the visuals, what makes an artwork compelling, as both a creator and a fellow creative?

M: For me the most compelling pieces of art are those that can tell a story. I love when a piece of art can hold my attention for a little longer than I’d first anticipated. It doesn’t really matter the medium, if there is a story to be interpreted I’ll undoubtedly get swept up in it.

G: I find it really interesting that an artwork can take on so many different meanings. Knowing that when you are looking at an artwork you are having a unique experience that may be really different from the person next to you makes it all the more compelling.

Can you recall an instance where you felt discouraged to the point of giving up? What was your thought process, what was the instance and what made you believe this? In return, what were the influences that transformed your approach to one of persevere?

M: I think I held onto a lot more of these thoughts and feelings in my early twenties. I’ve come to learn that that discouraging thoughts are just that – thoughts. They are not your reality. As best as I can, I now try to observe my carousel of thoughts & choose which I would like to actually listen to from a place of intention.

G: Fortunately I haven’t really experienced a moment like that. I was always conscious of not putting too much pressure on myself and making sure I was working towards my own idea of ’success’ and not anyones else’s. Spending so much time on social media, seeing all the amazing things that other people are doing can definitely make this hard though.

How has your mental health and boundaries imposed on you as a woman affected your self-concept and pursuit as an artist? What do you believe is important to communicate to aspiring artists?

M: Maintaining self-belief as an artist is incredibly hard & it really is a muscle that has to be constantly worked. There is no one size fits all solution… for myself I have found that if I stay focussed on the present moment of any given project it becomes a lot easier to believe in myself. Instead of asking macro questions about my future I ask what do I need to do just today. Also… limiting social media use is always a stunningly gorgeous idea.

You can see more of Georgia’s work here / and more of Millie’s work here / MU by Chelsea Shay