​Peter Greendale

Born 1956 in Raymond, Alberta

Lives & works in Cochrane, Alberta

Artist's Statement:​

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Drawing

Since my residency at the Banff Centre in 1984/85 the primary focus of my artistic practice has been the depiction of what I’ve come to term “the common object,” those things, which through there very familiarity, go unnoticed and are not usually regarded as being subjects worthy of artistic consideration.

My graduate work in drawing at the U of Calgary (1990 - 92)  dealt with how the depiction of the everyday, the "common object" could function beyond the merely representational to involve dimensions of meaning that speak of the culture at large.​

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Photography: "Found Light"

Since 2015 I have been involved in what has since evolved into the ongoing series of photographic artwork, "Found Light."

Found Light doesn't deal with the documentation of any subject or an event,  rather my process is to seek out interesting visual elements (colour, shape, texture etc.) that I encounter and by employing the camera's viewfinder as a framing device "construct" interesting and original imagery.  It is an purely formal approach in that the "subjects" I come across are only important for the visual elements they provide,  For example, an area of blue sky is not a background space in which a subject is situated but rather used formally as a coloured shape used towards the creation of a larger design.

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Photography: "17th/International Avenue"

In 2022 I began my photographic exploration of the iconic 17th Avenue South West and International Avenue in the South East of Calgary. These areas share a uniquely rich street life, dozens of exotic eateries and a shopping experience unlike anu other area of the city. 

As with all of my art photography it's not my intent to systematically document a time and place. Rather my intent is to approach these areas as unique entities and to explore them as an artist

seeking visually interesting imagery.

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Photography: "Traces - Signs of Life"

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“Traces, Sign of Life” deals with our shared material world and how we interpret that space. A definition of “Trace” is “…a surviving mark, sign or evidence of the former existence, influence or action of some agent or event.” All of us in our day to day lives effect and are affected by our surrounding material world. “Traces” is a collection of photographic works drawn from our everyday world which present visual clues of previous human activity. In other words…life. Seen in the works from “Traces” are such details as gouges in a cider block wall, the remnants of a torn away poster, a seemingly random pile of old bricks in front of an old wall etc. These are evidence of earlier life which viewers can, according to their own experiences and sensibility, “decode,” thus creating their own unique and personal interpretations and narratives. There are no correct, “authentic” readings to be had and the “truths” behind the events of their creation will forever remain a mystery. Although I “took” the photographs I have no more an idea of to the actual events that led to the “traces” than does the viewer. As the artist I’ve chosen the subject matter to record and how it should be presented as an image. My work is strongly formal in it’s composition and as an artist (as opposed to a journalist or documentarian) my intent is purely subjective and I strive to present as aesthetically pleasing an image as I can. If I find that by subtly manipulating an image (deleting distracting details, altering the colour of particular objects etc.) allows me to make a more compelling image, (while maintaining its believability) I will do so. 
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Photography: Flowers

What can I say?  They're pretty and they don't move.