Robert Peterson American, 1943-2011

Robert Peterson's still life pastels are quintessential examples of Luminism with their intense drama of light and shade. Their exact and literal representation also places them within the realm of Precisionism. By depicting the play of light across the simplest forms in minimal arrangements, his images are intimate yet monumental and possess a mysteriously perceptible air of silence. In doing so they transcend photo-realism to create an emtional response to their shape, texture, and existence. The pastels evoke every sense as the inanimate objects spring to life upon the paper.

Since Peterson's first exhibition in 1969, he has been honored with well over 100 gallery and museum exhibitions across the United States. His work is represented in numerous public collections including the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe and the Mint Museum in Charlotte.