We found Scott Peterman through the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. He had a show there in February, and his work is represented by the Miller Block Gallery in Boston. He recieved his MFA from Yale in 1998 and already had a BA in philosophy from University of New Hampshire in 1991. With photos like these, you can sort of tell he might be a little philosophical. MGR
The photographs that use all the white negative space are really strong. There's a quiet dignity to them that really drew me in.
These are splendid. I wonder how expensive they are.
I weep for the current state of modern contemporary photography.
The artist statement has replaced the art and pompous mediocrity rules the wall space.
Jp--
I think you may want to reserve judgment until you are lucky enough to see these amazing works in person, as I was lucky enought to do at -scope ny this past Winter. These shots here do them no justice (their colors are amazingly rich in a very subtle way, they walk the fine line between photography and drawing and painting, and their scale speaks volumes to the isolation of these structures while revealing amazing detail about their builders and temporary inhabitants.)
And the reps from the Miller Block Gallery were great. Many of the out-of-town gallery reps could teach some of our "educated and sophisticated" NY gallery folk a thing or two about sales and human interaction.
I understand what you mean Patrick. The unfortunate fact is that this work is undistinguishable from quite a variety of other landscape work out there and is, in no way (as per my consideration), above and beyond the limits of the medium. Generally (not in Scott's case) Size has replaced substance; the bigger, the better. Essence is secondary to intent and the sublime is all but a forgotten memory.
I like to think of myself as fairly critical when it comes to contemporary photography, and I think Scott's work (in person) very much captures the sublime. I think scale and color are very much "in his toolbox" and he uses them intentionally, and deftly.
I do agree there is lots of work out that that subscribes to a (semi) joke we used to have in design school-- "If you can't make it good, make it big. If you can't make it big, make it red." ;)
But I think Scott has simply "made it good" (big or not). But also understand that this art business is all highly personal and wide open to many opinions and interpretations.