Peter Black is one of New Zealand’s most important contemporary photographers, with a particular eye for the slightly strange juxtapositions of people and places inherent in our everyday moments. While Black traditionally worked in black and white photography, developing his own film and making his own silver gelatin prints, his more recent work has incorporated vibrant colour, seen here in these two images taken in New Zealand’s South Island.

Black’s work often encapsulates '. . . the sadness and humour, the gentle madness that prevails’, in his depictions of ambiguous and unreal situations. His works have been described as existing between the 'fictional' and 'real', and imagined as illustrating an idiosyncratic, plotless narrative. Black captures momentary glimpses of places and people on film, creating uncanny and familiar images.

Peter Black (born 1948, Lower Hutt) graduated from the 1975 pilot photography course at the Wellington Polytechnic. He was the first photographer to have a solo show at the National Gallery (now Te Papa Tongarewa) in 1980, and in 2003, a major retrospective of his work was held at City Gallery Wellington. In 2007, Te Papa bought 129 of his photographs, adding to his work already in their Collection. Peter Black lives and works in Wellington.