Peter Pfeffer's Artist Statement & Biography

Peter was born in Coney Island and lived there through his pre-teen formative years, before moving to the further reaches of Brooklyn. The experiences of those early years, and the surreal visual environment which enveloped him, became the tableaux from which he circumscribed his life.

The influences of the ocean, beaches, boardwalk, and amusement parks have stayed with him throughout. He attended a high school for gifted children, in college immersed himself in the cutting edge and emerging art of the 70’s, and crafted a career as an architect and urban designer.

He worked chiefly as an urban designer on development projects in the borough of Manhattan, specializing in waterfront planning.  He received a National Endowment for the Arts grant to develop and design a public waterfront along the length of the East River, and later was involved in the planning and design of the Hudson River Park along Manhattan’s west side.  He was also influential in shaping the current development of the Borough through formulating rules for its built form.

Early on, Peter carried a camera everywhere so he could document and distill his visual experiences. Over the last decade, while still working as an urban design and planning consultant, Peter has further developed his love for photography as a means of interpreting his visual experience and world view…... as he sees it.

Beaches, amusement parks, and fictional and voyeuristic landscapes are his palette for communicating his personal view of life. Peter has successfully shown and sold his work in a variety of venues, including each summer at Guild Hall in East Hampton, as a member of the Artist's Alliance of East Hampton and the East End Arts Council where he has successfully exhibited in juried shows, and with the Montauk Artists Association.