Peter Mueller

Peter Mueller born in 1962 in Switzerland is a visual artist living close to Zurich. From an early age he was drawn to photography and has developed his portfolio ever since. Even though his family was not particularly creative, his dad introduced him to this medium with enthusiasm. His father constantly documented the families travels and life and created a celebration around showcasing his pictures. Peter remembers vividly the delight and emotions when he finally got to see the photos. The happiness and also the feeling of having “experienced" what was captured on camera, looking at beautiful shots again with "new" and fresh eyes for the mind to visualize and connect is what he is looking for in his artworks. This process of visualization also triggers a sense of gratitude and mindfulness, being in the moment and experiencing it through his works.

Peter’s passion for visual art is inspired by his countless travels but he is mostly known for his expressive liquid art. Liquid art is a very unique and elaborate process to marry photography with art through millisecond precision, color composition and vision.

Through his work back in 2014, he saw and captured a simple drop collision, a drop falling on an ascending water column, causing an umbrella. He was so fascinated by this natural phenomenon that this experience dominated his thoughts and did not let him go anymore. 
Peter was determined to re-create the experience and capture it on camera again. After several months it was finally time, he had the necessary equipment and educated himself to get started.
With the element of water Peter captures different sculptures in fractions of milliseconds for the human eye to be able to visualize.
For this type of ephemeral and fleeting art he works with technical methods which enable him to realize these forms according to his ideas and visions. This practice is a tool in the highspeed photography and supports him in his creation of fascinating and mysterious artworks. The fascination culminates in an element of unpredictability yet the ability of directing the matter of water into new forms and to be inspired by it in each case anew.            
           
His color compositions are inspired by nature and the animal world which offer excellent examples. Spectacular fountains, light shows as well as the incentive - to be able to give certain shapes to the liquids. Peter certainly needed to brush up on his physics, a neglected topic in his childhood. 
Peter is an autodidact visual artist who developed his skills with courses, literature, experiments and the growing complexity in his processes. For the last 2 years Peter has been working with a 3D printer which helps him to realize and visualize his ideas. Liquid art requires an elaborate set up with attachments and nozzles and to his dismay a lot of cleaning afterwards.
His artworks are not pre- or post-processed, a millisecond capture suitable for large scale production of water drop photography. A macro art form where each one is totally unique.

When it comes to his creative process Peter already thinks the day before about how he wants to design and create his drop art shoot. The shape and the composition of color play the main role. 
Setup is done on the day 1 which means the installation, selection of background, position, checking of valves and nozzles, creating the color composition and getting the liquid ready. Then on day 2 the actual photography takes place. All photographs are always single shots, so no continuous or series shooting, it is the flash that "freezes" the movement. 
Peter is gaining popularity and has been selected several times in 2018, 2020, 2021 and for 2023 to participate in PhotoSchweiz in Zurich, one of the most prestigious photography exhibitions.
On a personal level, Peter is a fascinating and very humble individual. He has run several Ironman and is obsessed with Ultra-triathlons and long-distance trail running. A counterbalance to his creativity and photography.