Andy Peterson

I came to photography through a winding path of visual arts, sparked early in my life but rekindled through new perspectives that travel abroad provided. My turn towards being an artist happened at the same time as a return to interest in eastern philosophies, which had been influential to me when I first encountered them in college. As I explored the ways I could express myself in different media, I also tried to connect the images I was trying to capture with the deeper connections that I began to see all around me, especially through time spent in nature.
My photography is informed by my background in illustration and graphic design, where the strong workings of gestalt are brought to life as only nature can produce. My inspiration comes in the form of images that do not have a single focus, rather a grouping or pattern of elements that form an emergent subject, a subject that exists only within the collective efforts of the composite parts. This reflects concepts buried deep within Taoism, a guiding philosophy that resonates strongly for me.
By capturing compositions of nature in a way that draws focus to the greater harmony of elements while not destroying the character of the individual components, I hope to push back against the narrative of the disconnect individual. I would like to inspire the viewer to resonate with the everyday complexity in which we live. Photography, for me, is a way to capture images I could never hope to create out of my own mind.