Created in 2022, this series is inspired by the idea of phototropism: the process whereby living organisms are naturally drawn to search out the light.

This work is a natural evolution from the Ma series, a grouping of womb-like, magnetic abstractions photographed during pandemic lockdowns in collaboration with dancers from the National Ballet of Canada, which opened at The Lyceum Gallery in 2021.

Experimenting with colour tones and their varied emotional resonance, Petelko aims to see this work as modular in nature. Encouraging the sense of duality and dialogue between the human and botanical forms. As shown in the configuration Nightshade Gold and Lift.

Phototropic is an evolution, born out of our primal instinct to be at one with nature. To submerge into water and to reach for the sun as charged, fresh botanical life. To reemerge and discover ourselves. These images are abstracted during the photographic process , using various organic elements to remove

information, leaving the sense of coming in and out of dreams.