Susan Iverson

Susan Iverson’s Artist Statement

The landscape that I am immersed in and the landscapes that thrive in my memory inform my work. The transitory nature of atmospheric color and the strong emotions we connect to these fleeting moments of ocular pleasure are important components of much of my recent work. I am especially interested in dawn and dusk when magical moments of intense color are experienced and remembered, but seldom in their fullness. “Fleeting” and” Building Night” allow us a glimpse at a series of remembered atmospheric moments. As an artist, I am deeply affected by environmental, political, and social concerns. While the specifics of these concerns may be hidden by the layers of abstraction, they remain the bedrock of my work. I remain totally engaged with the conversation between the process, materials, and ideas behind each work.

The Color of No” project, ongoing since the fall of 2014, continues to grow as I am endlessly fascinated with the questions that it provokes. The word “NO” is both a simple negative and a word with complex/nuanced meanings. Color affects the meaning of the text in subtle and dramatic ways. I strive to engage the viewer in a conversation about the meaning of color within our relentlessly polychromatic world.

Susan Iverson’s Biography

Susan Iverson lives and weaves in rural Virginia near the small town of Montpelier. She is Professor Emerita at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond where she taught until 2015. She earned her MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, and a BFA from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO. She served on the Board of ATA from 2016 – 2020.

Her work has been exhibited widely throughout the United States and in Canada and is included in many collections including The Art in Embassies Program and the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.