Sue Lezon

Photo by Katie Khouri

An admirer of the past

In a small office, in Myers Fine Arts Building, is a kind-faced and friendly woman. She has been a photography professor at Plattsburgh State University (PSU) since 1994, an archeological photographer for 24 years, and an art works contributor at the University of Chicago. Most of all, she is an admirer of the past; an admiration that is reflected faithfully in her works taken in Egypt. Her name is Sue Lezon.

Sue Lezon received her bachelors degree from Emerson College and her masters in Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst such a long time ago; she can't even remember it now. Her passion for photography intiated from one of her childhood memories,"my grandmother gave me a camera when I was 12 years old and I felt in love with photography at that time. I've always been involved in the arts. I love painting, sculpture, but photography was a thing that I became most passionate about," says Lezon.

Before coming to Plattsburgh, Lezon taught in several institutions, but she is particularly interested in teaching at Plattsburgh because of its diverse student body. Besides teaching, she has also worked for several archeological expeditions. Most of her professional works have come from her archeological photographs in Egypt, which she considers her second home. "The opportunity that I have is to work on several monuments for the University of Chicago, to roam around this particular area and to look at the ancient tombs. I can go over and over again to look at the art, learn stylistically every detail that intrigues me," explains Lezon.

The decision to pursue archeological photography comes from her long-time interests in history and the past. For Lezon, Egypt has more than just historical monuments. "I am interested in this particular culture that is completely obsessed with being remembered, forever," says Lezon. Her works have been exhibited in several places, including Egypt and Rhode Island. Some of them were displayed in the Faculty Arts Show, held at PSU during February.

"..that you may behold the moon" is a group of photographs in black and white images that were displayed in the Plattsburgh Burke Gallery. Lezon wrote that the title comes from the photograph of a fallen ceiling block in an Egyptian tomb on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor. This beautiful phrase, as she considers, was placed in a tomb of a noble man in ancient Egypt. His tomb was constructed in a way that Egyptians believed he could have seen the Moon after he was reborn. In Egypt, the Moon is an imperious creation because the weather is really hot. "I've been to this tomb many times. The whole concept of their beliefs about life after death is just fascinating," Lezon expresses enthusiastically.

Her archeological photographs have not only been credited for their artistry, but their effectiveness in documenting many deteriorating monuments.

Lezon has been traveling for 20 years. She has been granted a full-time teaching job at PSU since September 2003. That enables her to settle down and enjoy her own time, especially gardening. "I didn't have time to have my own gardens. I've become an very excessive gardener because for the first time in my life, I've got my own gardens." Playing with her dog also makes her smile.

Her future plan is not a surprising one as she hopes to continue what she is currently doing. She will devote herself to teaching, traveling, photography, and exhibiting her works more locally. She will come back to Egypt next year to continue her efforts in bringing Egypt to the world and preserving its incredible history. "We are treated to a rare intimacy with history and monumentality in the work of Sue Lezon. She brings us Egypt and allows us to contemplate the ebb and flow of civilization and the quiet reflection of an artist with access to artifacts of kings and queens and gods-on-earth," wrote Diane Fine, chair person of the Art Department at PSU.

Overall, "it's a cool job," Lezon states proudly.

What do you think of her artworks? Let us know!