Peter Downsbrough – Then Set

The work of visual artist, photographer and film artist Peter Downsbrough (1940, New Bunswick, N.J.) has had a major impact on the perception of art.The varied work of the artist-ranging from sculpture and books to photography, video, and film-maintains a complex relationship with architecture and typography, while also drawing on the achievements of the early avant-garde (Bauhaus, De Stijl) and Minimal Art. In terms of form, the work of Downsbrough is highly rigorous and exhibits a powerful geometric sense, restricting itself primarily to the use of line, plane, negative space (cutting away), and delimitation. In addition to his spatial manipulations, the artist also has a keen interest in place, as is evidenced in his cartographical works and city photographs.