Keith Peterson | The Painter Trapped In A Photographer’s Body

Science, colour and a connection to the environment are all themes seen in the photographic work of Oakland, California based mixed media artist Keith Peterson. For the last 5 years, Peterson has made his currency body of work his primary focus. Born from an idea Keith had upon receiving ferrofluid as a birthday gift from his son, the project combines the artist’s love for painting and science with his technical knowledge of photography. When playing around with the ferrofluid, Peterson found that his first instinct was to photograph the results, leading to the development of the project that he continues to work on today.

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FASCINATION WITH NATURE

Having had the opportunity to meet Ansel Adams in his early teenage years, taking part in a workshop he was hosting in Yosemite National Park, Keith Peterson has found the impact of this encounter influential to his practice later in life. Although he accounts being too young to understand the technical aspects of the workshop, the love for both photography and nature which he learned here have stuck with him to this day.

This fascination with nature runs deep within the photographer and he makes it evident in his work. Many of the chemical reactions he photographs have similarities to the elements seen in the natural environment, and he reminisces on the “Great deal of satisfaction” he receives when he is able to replicate things such as flowers and trees in his photographic experiments. His interest and love for nature have also inspired him to create his own pigments for his work, using mineral and organic matter that he collects whilst on train hikes.

“The colors, patterns and shapes that occur in nature have heavily influenced my aesthetic and played an important part in the development of this series.”

Keith Peterson has a strong feeling that art can and should be used as a force for social change. He believes that art has the power to evoke strong emotions, challenge people’s perception and inspire new ways of thinking, which can make it a powerful force for social change. Although he acknowledges that the abstract nature of his work doesn’t directly speak to this, he explains how he holds benefit sales for causes that he holds close to his heart as his way to inspire social change.

Something which invokes a lot of confusing emotions for Peterson is artificial intelligence. He finds himself simultaneously an advocate for new technologies whilst sharing the same fear as many in the art industry that work will be lost to this same technology. Currently, he is finding comfort in the fact that AI can’t create images without having source material to draw from and is hoping that there will always be a place for humans in the creative world.

Moving forward, Peterson aims to continue with this series of photographs but plans to experiment with different techniques for displaying his work. He’s currently testing light boxes to display backlit works in an aim to enhance the oceanographic characteristics of some of his work.

+ Words:
Emily Nicholas
Luxiders Magazine

This interview is part of our Luxiders Magazine Print Issue 9. Buy the Digital Mag here.