TESTAMENT is a photographic series that documents the packing up of a life after death. After both grandfathers passing, one in 2003 and the other in 2007, I routinely returned to these spaces to capture what I could before this dwelling disappeared. Much like an archeological dig, souvenirs, texts, and objects filled the space, allowing me to have wordless conversations with the objects of disuse. With every visit the void and absence of life became greater within these walls. Through the wandering process of investigation, compositions were revealed, often transcending into metaphor.
Personality traits become unveiled by how and what is accumulated, stockpiled, and often cherished. These attachments and idiosyncrasies, portrayed through the collision, placement, and relationship of everyday objects intrigue me. The action of photography becomes a way to integrate myself into any given situation. Using an unflinching documentary approach and working with available light, I strive to engage viewers in a dialogue that is both physical and emotional. This is a call to witness.
November 2004 / February 2008
Peter Riesett currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. His interest in photography began at a young age when he recognized the deeper meaning behind a static image. A graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art (B.F.A.) and the Pratt Institute (M.F.A.), Pete's work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, and resides in the permanent collection at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, as well as various private collections. Pete was recognized as a winner of the Flash Forward 2007: Emerging Photographers Competition, through The Magenta Foundation. In November 2008, his work was published in Esquire magazine (Russian edition), to illustrate an essay by David Sedaris. He's been awarded 'Honorable Mention' for his book of the series Testament by Blurb's Photography Book Now competition in both 2008 and 2009. Pete's work has been selected for inclusion in the Humble Arts Foundation publication, The Collector's Guide To Emerging Art Photography, as well as the PRC Juried Publication, juried by Dana Faconti of Blind Spot. Most recently, Pete has been selected as a winner of Resource Magazine and WIN-Initiative's '10 BEST 10' International Competition.
