Heart Beats Light: Illuminated Landscapes 1995

“Peter Terezakis has a career as an 'exemplar' in the art, science, technology field, developing an artistic career using a wide variety of new technologies to create work ranging from public installations to jewelry. Motivated by a concern for our role and place in the world, his work provides a poetry for a technological age.” Roger Malina, Chairman of the board, Leonardo The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology
Since 1974, Peter Terezakis has created interactive works of varying scale and possessing a distinct technological character. These include electronic jewelry, ESP tester-trainers, wall-sized works, an interactive building, a flame which speaks the collected names of God and the current monumental site specific installations and performances begun in 1996. His vision is rooted within the lands of the east and the west: Between the ideologies of Hellenic Culture and those of Constructivism. He owes much to the friendship and mentoring of Timothy Binkley, Billy Kluver, Roger Malina Julie Martin, Lillian Schwartz, Hervé Fischer, and Bruce Wands. Terezakis' works have been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad, including Canada, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Mexico, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
As adjunct faculty at New York City's School of Visual Arts from 1993 to 2000, Terezakis helped to develop the Extended Forms major within the MFA Computer Art program. His work is featured in Bruce Wands' textbook, Art of the Digital Age, published by Thames and Hudson.
Selected comments about Peter Terezakis:
“Peter is a dedicated artist, whose work draws on and contributes to the history of art and technology.” — Edward Shanken, Ph.D. researcher, Duke University
".... Peter Terezakis' light installation powerfully suggests heat lightning fragmenting the desert's night air...." — Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times
"Peter Terezakis's soulfully technological art exemplifies the struggles between the ideal and the real, the still living questions at the heart of our post-modern civilization." — Alex Grey
" Peter Terezakis' "participatory environments" resemble remnants or artifacts left by a future culture rediscovered." — Alice Hutchison, Curator, Sensory Overdrive
“Peter Terezakis has developed a remarkable body of work over 30 years, which investigates the use technology in innovative ways to create art works of vision, spirit and arresting beauty. Early work in electronic jewelry, participatory environments and interactive installations that delightfully engaged the viewer with sculptures activating light and sound, has expanded to environmental art that extends his poetic vision across vast landscapes. His large scale performative events such as Sacred Sky, Sacred Earth, bring together large communities (over 1000 spectators), focusing awareness on the fragile environment and the power of artistic creation. In our collaborative work in dance and theatre, he has worked tirelessly (with patience and humor) and achieved wonders in adverse conditions, such as interactive site specific installations in Greece, Latvia, Mexico, Romania, and the Slovak Republic, to the first telematic projection of an off-site actor into an actual waterfall created in a theatre. He is the rare artist with a spiritual vision, a deep knowledge of the history and context of the field of art and technology, and the engineering expertise to personally build all of his creations successfully. I support his work with my highest recommendation.” — Allyson Green, Chair, Department of Theatre and Dance, University of California, San Diego
"Sacred Sky, Sacred Earth offered a mystic experience that fed the senses and made one feel a true part of this world." — Lori Bledsoe, The Alpine Sun
Peter Terezakis' work defies category. His unique photography and lighting installations are a seamless blend of craft and technology within an organic context and creative vision that reveals an elegant visual composer. As scenic elements they are rich and moving. His graphic and Web design is crisp, graceful, imaginative and accessible. As an educator, Peter's broad expertise is reassuring and clarifying and delivered with a contagious enthusiasm. I have repeatedly incorporated samples of Peter's work into my own curriculum as an example of innovative and relevant design. As a collaborator, working with Peter has been rewarding, generative, and motivating. His generous spirit is reflected in his dedication an openness. I look forward the next opportunity to experience the wealth of Peter's artistry. — Tom Ontiveros, Assistant Professor, University of Southern California
“Peter is a uniquely talented artist, and a pioneer in the Art-Sci (art & science) movement. He always managed to pull off the projects he proposed, no matter how amazing they sounded in his project proposals.” — Flash Light, Artist and Board Member, Art and Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI)
“Peter is an innovative artist who sees vision in the world around him. That stated, his boundless energy and thoughtful ideas encompass artistry genius which can not be ignored in the press nor in the artist community. His direction as an artist to his dancers and feedback are invaluable tools which have helped me grow as a dancer. Peter's constant flow of ideas are invaluable and can not be ignored." — Kathryn Campbell
"Terezakis marries art and technology in a unique visual quest for spiritual engagement." — Allyson Grey
“Peter is a hard worker and a visionary. Peter helped to spearhead the movement that took Alex Grey from fantastic artist, to world renowned artist and top seller. HIs knowledge of both art and business helps differentiate him from people that are solely artists. Through Peter, he took an outsourced warehouse operation and brought it internal to help reduce costs, gain control, and expand customer service. I watched as Alex Grey's sales climbed upwards under Peter's watch and guidance. I would strongly recommend him as a leader and overall great person. He would be an asset to any operation.” — Jared Robin, Market Development Account Executive and Sr. Account Executive at FedEx
“Peter Terezakis is a perfectionist. A perfectionist in form, in creativity, in manner, in thinking, in bringing together the flow of a project. When looking at his artwork, one gets the sense of antiquity, of details completely thought out, of beauty in the miniscule. In the same token, when looking at his work, one gets the feeling of immenseness, of Nature sitting still to pose for him with daring in her eyes. Out of the box vision and in-the-box beauty, this is what my gracious friend does for Life.” — Nina Gould