Newcastle based artist, Peter Gardiner’s evocative practice draws on a profound understanding of light and dark- as mastered in the Dutch tradition of landscape. Epic bushfire narratives, seascapes and still lives (nature more) bridge centuries of art history through a Contemporary lens. Gardiner is an obsessive painter, concentrating on intimate details within the picture plain- petals, leaves, embers. This intricacy provides a humanist quality, which is quietly contained within the vaster scenery. There is a real sense of innovation which extends his practice beyond the archetypal representative landscape. The artist’s powerful use of scale is a hallmark in the impactful installation and curation of his works. 

"I lean into the landscape, between light and dark... interior and exterior. Sometimes it's so vast it feels like I'm floating in it. I look back to make sense of what I see in front of me. It's my language and I'm making it up every day."

Gardiner holds an impressive acquisition, prize and exhibition history. He was the winner of the 2024 John Leslie Art Prize, the Kilgour Art Prize in 2016, and has also been a finalist int Wynne Prize, the Dobell Prize and the Mosman Art Prize. Gardiner’s work has been acquired by significant private and public collections including Gippsland Regional Gallery, Newcastle Regional Gallery, University of Technology Sydney, Newcastle University, the Macquarie Bank Collection and Art Bank.