Graham Thompson - American Culture in the 1980s, Edinburgh University Press "Photorealist painting is also called hyper-realism and painters like Richard Estes, Denis Peterson, Audrey Flack, and Chuck Close often worked from photographic stills to create paintings that appeared to be photographs. The hyperrealist genre is clearly more than an attempt to replicate the mechanical action of taking a photograph."

Chris Rywalt - Urban Perspectives, NYC Art "His latest series is a showcase for how far he can take his abilities: he is, really, an Olympic-level athlete of painting. I've seen a lot of fantastic painters in my time, academically trained and otherwise, but Denis -- Denis is in a class by himself. He is the Michael Phelps of painting, the Usain Bolt of airbrush and paintbrush. He makes Vermeer look like Jackson Pollock. But Denis, through his art, manages to snare a true, timeless sense of how the city feels."

Ari Siletz - A Brush Stroke for Every Human Suffering, Media Watch "This instance of hyperrealism is a performance art. Peterson isn't showing off; he is a radical painter, compelling us with his dedication. The astonishing realism is the result of every wrinkle and twist of hair being colored and shadowed in the context of reflected light from every other object in the scene. Whereas the camera does this mindlessly as a matter of optics, this artist has endured whatever it took to make sure human eyes do not respond as mindlessly."

Joshua Rose - Perceptions of Reality, American Art Collector Magazine "Peterson's paintings have a timeless symbolic meaning rather than the mere appearance of a photograph. While hyper-real in definition, they are also breaking from the structures of photography as being an acceptable simulation of reality and instead, creating a sense of personalization and interaction."

Rik Rawling - Keep it Hyper Real, WordPress "Somewhere during the process of painting Peterson imbued something of himself into the work, which is why his images for me succeed where his contemporaries do not. Devoid of any human presence, his locations are ripe for ghosts, the atmosphere heavy with unassauged yearning."

Denis Peterson - Artist Statement, Museum Catalog "For me, painting is the art of working in wonders by appealing to the unconscious inclinations of others. I don't set out with a particular outcome in mind, but to create a transformational visual statement that remains flexible throughout the entire painting process. Creating the illusion of reality is secondary in purpose, a virtual means to an end. The primary goal is to create the appearance of a timeless composition that, regardless of its sometimes endless complexities, can mesmerize the viewer, capture his or her imagination, and evoke a core response."