Peter Spurgeon (b. 1971) is a documentary photographer based in South West England. As a child, he was fascinated by cameras as objects and by the technical aspects of image-making. This interest developed into the production of research-based series using family and official archives, maps, and heritage data sources. His work depicts objects and landscapes to explore the themes of theatre, conflict, and loss.

He has a background in Geographical Information Systems and holds an MA in Documentary Photography from the University of South Wales (Newport).

His work has been exhibited at Photograd Open, PHOTOMASTERS MA Exhibition, Encontros da Imagem, Discovery Award collective projection, and ESPY Photography Award. He was nominated for the PhotogrVphy Grant (Conceptual), shortlisted for the ESPY Photography Award, and selected for Source MA Graduate Photography Online. His Decoy project has been published in the Encontros da Imagem Discovery Award catalogue and Source Magazine Graduate Photography.

Visual artist working with photography, archives, and landscape.

The Lost Treasures series connects his father’s photographs of visits to archaeological sites in Iraq during the 1980s with new images of souvenirs and documents from that time.

The Decoy series, focusing on Second World War bombing decoy sites, explores the intriguing space between theatre and conflict. Film studio technicians were commissioned to design fake cities, airfields, docks, and oil refineries. The objective of this secret simulation was to divert enemy bombs away from real targets. He introduced theatrical lighting to animate the landscape and evoke visual deception in war.

His survey of Lisbon Allotments revealed how unclaimed spaces in the city have been used to grow food. This unconventional use of land reflects the harsh economic conditions faced by local people.