24/08/2025
Author: Grace Newman
Work /wəːk/ (noun).
An activity involving mental or physical effort in order to create art.
The recent Headline exhibition Men at Work presented a bold exploration of material, identity, and vision through the eyes of three contemporary male artists: photographer Peter Lovelock, glass artist Adam Hussain, and woodturner Phil Irons. Together, their works span the disciplines of photography, glass, and wood, demonstrating the breadth and depth of contemporary craft and fine art in the UK.
UK Artists member Peter Lovelock's exhibition series Memories of Trees draws us deep into the heart of nature.
Memories of Trees
Peter Lovelock works across a wide range of media, including pen and ink, pencil, intaglio, gold and silver leaf, and photography. At the core of his practice lies an emotional response to the natural world: trees, plants, organic shapes, landscapes, and rock strata are recurring sources of inspiration.
His artistic journey began on the west coast of Scotland in the 1970s, when the wilderness, beauty, and isolation of the landscape compelled him to draw and photograph in an attempt to interpret what he was feeling and seeing. This experience became the foundation for a lifelong exploration of the natural environment and its elemental power.
Trees, in particular, have become a profound and recurring subject. Peter describes studying and spending time with them as “a great joy,” one that continues to spark his creativity and emotional connection with the world around him.
A Shift Toward Impressionism
For Memories of Trees, Peter’s photography takes on an impressionist quality, the first step towards abstraction. Using Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), longer shutter speeds, layers, blending, filters, and multiple exposures, he transforms woodland imagery into something more atmospheric and emotional than literal.
“Aspects of my Fine Art Photography are becoming more impressionistic, and this is the focus for my exhibition,” Peter explains. “Impressionist photography aims to make an image that viewers will respond to emotionally – leaving you space to see what you feel, not just what you see.”
The resulting black-and-white images are layered and haunting, stripping away surface details to reveal a mysterious, visceral essence. In doing so, Peter invites reflection on the fragility of our landscapes and the emotions stirred by habitat loss, environmental damage, and climate change.
Beyond the Woodland
Although Memories of Trees centres on forests, Peter’s inspirations extend far beyond them. His practice also draws on urban and coastal environments, machinery, churches, and street life, alongside seascapes, natural structures, and rock strata.
Equally, his interest in the knowledge and ceremonies of Indigenous peoples informs his approach, particularly their deep connection with the earth and the wider universe. This fascination with both natural and cultural worlds enriches his art, weaving meaning into each image.
For Peter, the camera is a paintbrush: “The style itself is an impression of life. My work is an emotional response to the natural world and the elements that create and influence its evolution. I am attempting to share with you what I am feeling and seeing.”
Men at Work – A Collective Dialogue
Though this blog focuses on Peter Lovelock, Men at Work was a collaborative exhibition. Adam Hussain’s kiln-formed glass artworks, inspired by Aztec design and geometry, and Phil Irons’ masterful woodturning, which celebrates the expressive potential of timber, provide striking contrasts to Peter’s impressionist photography.
Together, the three artists create a dialogue between materials, methods, and perspectives, from lens to lathe to kiln. But for members and followers of UK Artists, Memories of Trees is also a celebration of Peter Lovelock’s evolving practice, his commitment to nature, and his invitation for us all to feel as much as we see.
View Peter's artwork for sale
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