Floral Expressions… Layered & Gilded Photography By Laurie Peek

Statement

“My ongoing In Lieu of Flowers series of multi-layered photographs of floral elements is dedicated to my son Jackson Turner (1983-2020) and other individuals I’ve known whose funerals I could not attend. And, this work is for all those who’ve suffered the loss of a loved one, especially in these covid times.

With this memorializing project—presenting the flowers I was not able to give—I draw on my long-time fascination with layers, abstraction, and plants, as well as my practice of East Asian brush painting. Somehow they all work together.

The images themselves are digital composite, pigment photographs printed on translucent vellum. Hand-applying gold or gold/silver metallic-leaf gilding to the backs of the pigment prints creates a shimmering glow evocative of sacred art. Varnishing each print three different times, painting on the adhesive, and methodically rubbing the gilding onto the vellum, hearkens back to the slow developing and handling of prints made from film negatives in the darkroom and, for me, establishes a strong, physical connection to the work.”

Immersion in creating this “tribute” series, with its acknowledgement of past significant relationships and the grief of losing my child, has been healing and is meant to heal others.”–L.P.

BIO

With an MFA in Photography from SUNY Buffalo/Visual Studies Workshop, Tappan, NY resident Laurie Peek has been a photo librarian, photography educator, photojournalist, PR photographer and art gallery administrator. For the past decade Peek has been exhibiting her photography widely across the US and internationally. 

For inquiries, please email laurie@lauriepeek.com

Visit Laurie’s website: lauriepeek.com

Instagram: @lauriepeek

Solo shows include:

Flowers Everywhere, Davis-Orton Gallery, Hudson, NY

Flow, Lagstein Gallery, Nyack, NY

Car Parts: Metallic Transports, Union Arts Center, Sparkill, NY

Rockland Reverso, Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY.

Accolades

In 2022 Peek was awarded “International Garden Photographer of the Year, 3rd Place

Abstract Views,” Kew Gardens, London, UK, and for the last five years she has been

juried into the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards for Women Photographers exhibition

at the FotoNostrum Gallery in Barcelona, Spain.