Michael Peterson

Based in Michael Peterson

“BECOME THE DREAM YOU WANT TO LIVE”

I create cultural commentary and conversation through the unifying voices of music, art, and culture curation. My work includes the usage of audio soundscapes, illustration, photography, graphic design, software development, Photography, digital video, and experiential engagement.

My artwork takes a critical view of social, political and cultural issues within the global nation of people from the African Diaspora through the voice of visual representation and the imagery of sound. In my work, I look to deconstruct the interactions of different cultural groups and their many facets of life through the lens of Hip Hop.

Engaging subjects as diverse as the city of NYC, my work reproduces familiar concepts of cultural life through different modes of new media arranging them into new conceptually layered pieces. Oftentimes these themes are combined into installations that feature the written word, soundscapes, music, photography, illustration, and film, juxtaposed with cultural objects and artifacts from each respective culture with a unified theme based around the culture of Hip Hop. While I use a variety of materials and processes in each project my methodology is consistent. Although there may not always be material similarities between the different projects they are linked by recurring formal concerns and through the subject matter. The subject matter of each body of work determines the materials and the forms of the work.

Each project consists of multiple works, often in a range of different media, grouped around specific themes and meanings. During research and production new areas of interest arise and lead to the next body of work.

As a creative director I work with a multitude of artisans and professionals to create a vision for products and projects that push boundaries and create conversation.