Russell Chatham was born in San Francisco in 1939. He is the grandson of the tonalist landscape painter Gottardo Piazzoni. His art conveys a sense of quietude and reverence for the landscapes he portrays.
Working on aluminum plates, Russell hand draws a separate plate for each color. Each print is comprised of anywhere from 20—50 plates. His sense of subtly and subdued palate make the shifts in color seamless.
In 1994 Russell wrote, “The artist does not simply hold a mirror to society. If the world now is greedy, the artist must be generous. If there is war and hate, he must be peaceful and loving. If the world is insane, he must offer sanity, and if the world is becoming a void, he must fill it with his soul.”
When the Bloomsbury Review interviewed Chatham in 2003 about his inner motivation for painting, he answered “All genuine art grows outward from the heart, and is a matter of sensations. Art inspired primarily by the intellect may induce awe, excitement, or even laughter, but never tears, and there is no great art without tears.”
His work has been exhibited in over 400 one man shows and in museums and galleries over the last five decades. Notable art critic Robert Hughes is numbered one of Chatham's collectors and there are others as diverse as Paul Allen and actor Jack Nicholson
