About the Artist

Brent C. Peterson, Ph.D.

Dr. Brent Peterson earned his Ph.D. in Art Education from The Florida State University and his Master of Science in Art Therapy and Counseling from Eastern Virginia Medical School. There, he discovered his ability to create images with flowing paint. He is a nationally award‑winning researcher, has written two books, and has multiple peer‑reviewed journal publications on the application of technology in art therapy.

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, he has a fondness for all things outdoors. He married his sweetheart in 2003, and the two have one amazing daughter. He works as a forensic art psychotherapist in Williamsburg, Virginia, and enjoys spending his free time painting, rock climbing, snowboarding, woodworking, and playing golf.

Portal IX, painting by Brent C. Peterson

The Artist Statement

Completionism — Art in Ten Dimensions

Completionism is an immersive art experience that takes place in ten dimensions. The intention of its creation was to allow the viewer to have a different visual and emotional experience each time the image is viewed. The first four dimensions follow the laws of physics: length, width, height and time. The fifth is consciousness, both physically and emotionally. Dimensions six through ten are created in the viewer's mind. This artform uses color and frameworks to start the journey. The images are not simply paintings, but portals into and through time and space.

Completionism asks the viewer to take the portal before them and create in their mind their own image in time, space and emotion. The images are intentionally created so that they can take place in the past, present and future. Completionism is founded on the idea of respect for each life and experiences of all people regardless of differences in their age, gender, ethnicity, class, beliefs, and life experiences. No portal has a correct answer. As the five dimensions of self and the five dimensions of imagination intertwine within the mind, only then is the viewer's individualized interpretation of the portal discovered. It is known that revisiting the same portal over time will create entirely new visual experiences and emotional states within the interdimensionality of ten ever‑changing dimensions.