Who is Peter Lik?
Peter Lik is a world renowned Australian-American landscape photographer best known for his sweeping panoramic scenes of American natural landscapes. Peter was born in 1959 in Melbourne, Australia to Czech parents who immigrated to Australia following World War II. His early life was influenced by the stunning landscapes of his native country, where he developed an innate appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. At the tender age of 8, Peter recevied his first camera from his parents, a Kodak Brownie, a faithful moment which began his photographic journey.
After high school, Peter spend his young adulthood working as a salesman for a packaging company. Later on, he worked for a greeting card company, all the while carrying his camera with him wherever he went and steadily building up his portfolio of his native Australia. Eventually this landed him a job as a photographer for the Queensland Tourist and Travel Corporation. For the 2 years that followed, Peter traveled across Australia and continued building his portfolio. In 1984, Peter Lik traveled to the United States for the first time. Like many first time visitors, he became captivated by the beautiful landscapes, particularly of the US Southwest. In 1989, he returned to the US for an epic road trip, where he traveled for over 4 years, covered 50,000 miles and completed a large project called Spirit of America. In 1996, he used the portfolio build over the previous few years to start a postcard company. Shortly thereafter in 1997, he opened his first gallery.
Widely regarded today as the most important landscape photographer of his generation and certainly the most financially successful. His artwork has a broad base of collectors from across the world and is sold through his network of galleries and online store. Peter Lik’s photographs are know for their strong compositions, high levels of detail and vibrant colors and hues. They are usually displayed in very large sizes in the acrylic face mount format and framed using custom Italian wooden frames. The most popular of his works include subject matter such as trees, canyons, mountain ranges, rivers, lakes and ocean seascapes, particularly of the iconic American variety, including natural landmarks in various national and state parks. Peter Lik’s portfolio also includes a significant body of work in the same themes from various international destinations, as well as architecture, cityscapes, aviation and wildlife photography.
CANYONLANDS
Limited Edition, Fine Art Photograph of Utah's Mesa Arch by Artist Michael Andrejkow.
What is a Peter Lik Style Print?
Acrylic face mount printing is a sophisticated and modern technique used to present photographic prints with exceptional clarity, vibrancy, and depth. This process involves mounting a high-quality photographic print behind a sheet of acrylic glass using a specialized adhesive. The result is a sleek, frameless display that enhances the visual impact of the image. The actual print creation, mounting and display process of a acrylic face mount print is not actually unique to the artist and is widely used as an art display medium in contemporary fine art photography today.
The process begins with the creation of a high-resolution photographic print on professional-grade archival metallic paper. The image is typically printed using state-of-the-art printing technologies, to ensure exceptional detail and color accuracy. A specialized optically clear adhesive is then applied to the front of the print. This adhesive is designed to bond seamlessly with both the photographic print and the acrylic sheet that will be applied later. A precisely cut and polished acrylic sheet is carefully placed over the adhesive-covered print. The acrylic used is often of museum-grade quality, ensuring optical clarity and UV protection. The photographer or printmaker takes great care to eliminate any air bubbles or imperfections between the print and the acrylic. The print and acrylic are subjected to a vacuum-sealing process or pressed together under carefully controlled pressure. This step ensures a bond with no air gaps, creating a visually stunning, distortion-free display. The edges of the acrylic print are then flame-polished or diamond-polished to achieve a crystal-clear, glass-like appearance. This step also adds to the overall durability and aesthetic appeal of the final product.
SPIRIT TREE
Limited Edition, Fine Art Photograph of Portland's famous Japanese Maple Tree by Artist Michael Andrejkow.
Peter Lik GALLERIES FINE ART FOR SALE
Peter Lik opened his first fine art photography gallery in the coastal city of Cairns, Australia in 1997. Always with the end goal of making the move to the United States, in 2002, he opened his first US based gallery in San Francisco, California on the famous Pier 39. This initial venture did not work out. Shortly thereafter in 2003, he attempted a second try and opened a gallery in Hawaii. This gallery in the city of Lahaina, on the island of Maui,was a success and his star began to rise from there.
After the success of his Hawaii gallery, Peter Lik’s career really took off after opening his first gallery in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Located on the Las Vegas Strip in Ceasars Palace Hotel and Casino. This gallery propelled Peter to a new height in the landscape photography world and his work to critical acclaim. Since then, he has gone on to run a multitude of other galleries in major American cities and tourism markets. At the time of writing, fine art photographer Peter Lik operates the following galleries across the United States:
LIK Fine Art Gallery Aspen – Aspen, Colorado.
LIK Fine Art Gallery Caesars – Forum Shops at Caesars – Terrace Level, Las Vegas, Nevada.
LIK Fine Art Gallery Forum – Forum Shops at Caesars – Casino Level, Las Vegas, Nevada.
LIK Fine Art Gallery Key West – Key West, Florida.
LIK Fine Art Gallery La Jolla – La Jolla, California.
LIK Fine Art Gallery Mandalay – Shoppes at Mandalay Place, Las Vegas, Nevada.
LIK Fine Art Gallery Miami – Miami Beach, Florida.
LIK Fine Art Gallery New York City – New York, New York.
LIK Fine Art Gallery Venetian- Grand Canal Shoppes in The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada.
AUTUMN'S EMBRACE
Limited Edition, Fine Art Photograph of Aspen Trees submerged in water by Artist Michael Andrejkow.
FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER LIK
Peter Lik has taken numerous famous photographs over his long career. He now has 4 of the top 20 most expensive photographs ever sold. Here are some of the most notable ones:
One – Reflections of tree trunks and autumn fall colors in the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire. Sold to a private collector for $1 million.
Eternal Moods – Black and white of sweeping rock formation in Lower Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona. Sold to a private collector in November 2014, for $1.1 million
Phantom – Light Shaft resembling a human figure in Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona. Sold to a
private collector in November 2014, for $6.5 million.
Illusion – Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) of a stand aspen trees in winter during sunset. Taken
in Telluride, Colorado. Sold to a private collector for $2.4 million.
Inner Peace – Famous Japanese Maple Tree in the Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, Oregon.
Pele’s Whisper – Lava entry into the ocean on the Big Island of Hawaii. A womanly figure, Pele, the Goddess of Fire appears in top left corner.
AUTUMN IMPRESSIONS
Limited Edtion, Fine Art Photograph of fall colors reflection in water by Artist Michael Andrejkow.