PLATTSBURGH — Peter Russom, a professor of art at SUNY Plattsburgh, retired in Spring 2023.
His contributions to the college cemented, he wanted more time with his family, painting in the studio, and travel.
His works in “Shared Terrain” was inspired by his wanders.
“Essentially, what I wanted to do in the show was to show the most current work,” he said.
“I think about 12, maybe a little bit more than that, pieces from 2024 and there are several from 2023. This is like the newest vein of the work. I did put in some pieces that were a little older to show some context for the work because there is a shift in the work, and I think the viewer will see it.”
Russom’s medium is primarily acrylic on canvas or wood panels. The subject matter is the landscape.
“Primarily in this group of pieces, it’s a look at the coastal landscape,” he said.
“We traveled to Maine a few year ago, and we went to London last summer. We were able to go out to the Cliffs of Dover, which was pretty wild. It’s pretty amazing. The subject matter is the landscape, but they’re not about Maine or England. They’re more references. I’m using the landscape as reference. I’m not making paintings about Maine, but I’m trying to make work that reveals something, evokes something, about the power of the landscape.”
Russom is working smaller now, mostly under 24 inches. There may be a few a little larger, but he dialed down from four or five-foot works.
“I’m trying to be more efficient in the work,” he said.
“The small scale has it challenges, sometimes more difficult. But I also like the benefit of an intimate scale, a smaller scale. There’s a certain kind of intimacy to it. I think the view connects to in a different way when it is smaller.”
Works in “Shared Terrain” include “Revere-Coastal” and “Contested.”
“There is a series in the show numbered one through seven,” he said.
“Most of the pieces have an actual title. The title comes from my meditation on the work, my reflecting on the work. They are coming easy to me. They kind of name themselves.”
In his Port Kent studio, Russom works at 12 or 20 pieces at a go.
“When I begin a body of work for an exhibition, I don’t do one at a time,” he said.
“I don’t try to make one painting work. I’m trying to make a body of work. Each piece has to work, but what I’m really focused on is the whole body of work. I’m not trying to make 20 paintings perfect. Fifteen may survive. Some don’t get shown. I’m not trying to make each work individually. What is the idea I am trying to convey? Whatever number it is are the most success relaying that message. That’s why the ones that are show are shown. The ones that don’t get shown, they get recycled. I work on those again.”
For him, it’s an honor to hang with Diane Fine and Sue Lezon in “Shared Terrain.”
“I think what people may not know about being in a department at a college is you work so closely with folks,” he said.
“You work so closely with your colleagues. We have such respect for each other’s art. That of course follows that you respect each person and you value their thoughts, how they work. It really helps the program, the students because all the faculty are serious whether they are art historians or researchers, scholars, and for studio people, serious artists. It’s a real honor to be with Sue and Diane, and also we are great friends. So, that’s cool too. Three artists that make work that hopefully people respond to, but also three people that have a deep friendship.”