Curators’ Quote
‘Refusal of obedience is one definition of rebel, if asked, almost everyone, hopefully, could join the ranks of defying the rules at least once in their lives and yet it is the continual refusal of obedience that is often the catapult from obscurity. Perhaps the worldwide fascination with rebels is the utmost admiration of that continual defiance.
For this solo exhibit of Russell Young, an artist whose work has graced the auction block at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips in both the United States and the UK., we wanted to serve up fame with all its intrigue and hidden costs.
What is the allure of Marilyn Monroe? The beauty? The tragedy? Only a rebel can survive an orphanage, 12 foster homes and marrying someone at 16 just to get a foothold into a new beginning that would eventually take her to the pinnacle of stardom. It makes you wonder what she is thinking now. Is she surprised at all that her legacy lives on or did she insure it?
Bowie, famous for his Rebel Rebel song, was fluid before the adjective moved beyond flow. Did he see the future, or did he define it? What is he thinking now and, more importantly, are he and Marilyn poolside enjoying Bombay Sapphire Martinis? Add in Hendrix and Dean who both burned so bright so fast, while Elvis and Liz changed the world and lasted longer but not long enough. And yet Bardot lives on. Life is a complicated dance where you never know when the music is going to stop. Sometimes you have to look to science for the answers.
“Massive stars burn out faster because they have more fuel, but they need to use more fuel to sustain their status, so they exhaust their fuel in a shorter amount of time.”
The beauty of this exhibit beyond the paints and the diamond dust and the intensity of the portraits is that all these icons are trapped in a time of endless possibility even if some happen to be at that precise moment, posing for a mug shot.’
Bio/Statement
Born in 1959 in Northern England, Russell Young began his artistic career studying photography, film and graphic art at the Chester Art College. He was taken on as an assistant for Australian photographer Christos Raftopoulos, who met Young while he was living on the streets of London, homeless. The artist pursued his career in photography by immersing himself into British nightlife, in his own projects shooting live club shows of well-known musical artists such as R.E.M. and the Smiths.
August 22nd to September 10th
OPENING PARTY: Friday August 24th 5-7pm
This exposure helped him to land work photographing for magazines, album covers, and portraits of famous artists and celebrities such as Morrissey, Bjork, Springsteen, Dylan, New Order, and Diana Ross. With his presence firmly grounded in the entertainment industry, quite fittingly Russell Young found himself directing music videos during the MTV boom. Despite his ties to pop culture and the mass market, Young would take extended breaks from directing to tend to his pastime of painting. Eventually his hectic lifestyle as an editorial photographer and music video director could no longer fulfill his creative aspirations as it once had, deciding to pursue painting and transition into a full time career as a fine artist.
As a painter, Russell Young is known for his portraits of iconic figures, the recurring subject across his oeuvre. Focusing on these celebrated idols for their impact on society and culture, his recognizable images are often compared to that of pop artist, Andy Warhol. His recent work consists of combining painting and photography to achieve stunning results, including his notable and frequent use of Diamond Dust, individually applied crystals that are pressed into the surface of his artworks, creating a mesmerizing effect that makes each piece unique. This remarkable technique produces beautiful images, but is not done so without conceptual purpose. By combining haunting imagery with luxurious material Young believes he can glamorize any image, while seducing the viewer to have a push and pull effect.
Russell Young currently lives and works in California and Brooklyn. Having been featured in galleries nationwide, including notable fine art capitals London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo, Singapore, New York, Detroit, Miami and Los Angeles, his pieces have graced the auction block at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips in both the United States and the UK. Noteworthy collections include Barack Obama, Brad Pitt, David Bowie, Aby Rosen, and more, Russell Young is one of the most desired, sought-after working artists of today.
For more information on THE WHITE ROOM GALLERY visit www.thewhiteroom.gallery
Open Tues- Sun 11-5pm
