SWAY is a captivating experience of emotions and movements conveyed in images. LJP has succinctly captured the moment “in between”. Her ethereal work celebrates unknown layers.
The blurry, hazy disconnect between reality and imagined worlds. LJP allows the viewer to be untethered from conventional norms of viewing photography.
-Curators,The Cardinal Gallery
SWAY represents a unique fusion of Petelko's "Phototropic" series and selected images from the current "Nightlife." This combined work explores humanity's relationship with a yearning for nature in an increasingly technological world. While "Phototropic" focuses on nature's inclination towards light, demonstrating its resilience and beauty, "Nightlife" delves deeper, embracing the raw essence of photography. In "Nightlife," Petelko manually illuminates natural spaces, creating slightly surreal landscapes that evoke imagination and inner reflection. Both series invite viewers to engage in a poetic interpretation of the captured images, encouraging contemplation on the evolving connection between nature, art, and our inner landscapes.
Laura Jane Petelko, born in Toronto in 1972, is a Canadian photographic artist renowned for her emotive sincerity and intimate subject matter. Her artistic journey began in Vancouver during the early 2000s, where she gained recognition for her series "28", which explored tender and intimate themes of a friend's personal recovery. Additionally, Petelko collaborated with women in her series "Listen",empowering them to convey their own powerful messages on their skin.
Beyond her personal projects, Petelko honed her craft by mastering printing techniques for acclaimed photographic artists such as Harmony Korine, Kelly Wood, and Ed Rusche. She was represented by Vancouver's prestigious "Third Avenue Gallery" before returning to her roots in Toronto.
Currently, Petelko is immersed in the creation of her seventh series, titled "Nightlife." This phase of her artistic journey has been profoundly influenced by a three-year prognosis of impending blindness.
In response, she has embraced in-camera abstraction techniques, stripping away extraneous details to distill her images to their emotional essence. This departure from conventional photographic norms underscores her commitment to conveying raw emotion and simplicity in her work.
Petelko's artistic contributions have been recognized and exhibited in cities including Toronto,Vancouver, Palm Beach, Miami, Brussels, Denmark, and New York.
Her pieces have attracted collectors from both North America and Europe, underscoring their universal appeal and significance within the contemporary photographic art scene.
Most recently Laura Jane has been invited to show her works at exclusive art fairs: PHOTO LONDON 2024 and EYE OF THE COLLECTOR , both in London.
