Chicago Artworks on Display: Explore the Current Space

Jason M. Peterson’s debut at Carousel Fine Art introduces audiences to a photographer with a deeply refined and unmistakable visual language. Known for his high-contrast black-and-white imagery, Peterson distills each scene down to light, shadow, and form, often picturing small human figures within vast architectural or natural spaces to create a sense of scale and cinematic stillness. With more than three decades behind the camera and a global audience of over one million followers, Peterson has built a signature style rooted in the power of black and white. His work strips away distraction, focusing instead on shape, shadow, movement, and emotional resonance. The result is imagery that feels both contemporary and timeless.

Peterson’s photographs are defined by high contrast, lone figures, and the dramatic interplay between hard light and architectural space. He frequently positions the human figure against vast, sweeping urban or natural environments, creating compositions that explore scale, solitude, and rhythm. Whether shot on film, digital, or his often-used iPhone, his approach is consistent: he waits for the exact alignment of light, form, and moment that will turn an everyday scene into a visceral statement.