Michael Peck participates in a project of world making, creating spaces so intimate that the viewer cannot help but to feel as if they have stumbled upon a scene not meant for their eyes.

There is an uncanny ambiguity as to the intent of his child subjects. The intensity of their concentration is mesmerising but the question lingers: are they innocents engaged in the imaginary games of childhood or survivalists adapting to a world without adult supervision and denied the luxury of play?

Peck’s works embody a photographic stillness suggesting a caught moment in the midst of flurried action. There is a calm that belies the activity within, children’s hands, birds’ wings and flowing creeks all temporarily stilled.

The artist’s works raise questions about childhood and innocence, about the relationship between culture and nature and progress and conflict. The beauty lies in the absence of a clear answer, the works open up a plethora of possibilities and leave the audience the freedom to seek their own answers.