Russell Young | |
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Russell Young, 2012
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Born |
York, England, UK |
13 March 1959
Nationality | British, American |
Education | University of Chester, Exeter College of Art and Design |
Known for | Screen Printing, Painting, Conceptual art, Installation art |
Spouse(s) | Finola Hughes (m. 1992–present; 3 children) |
Website | www |
Russell Young (born March 13, 1959) is a British-American artist. Young studied photography, film and graphic design at the Chester Art College and later attended Exeter Art College. He moved to London and gained recognition photographing the early live club shows in the late 1970s of Bauhaus, R.E.M. and the Smiths, and with editorial work for magazines including BLITZ, for which he several front covers. During this period he shot portraits of Morrissey, Björk, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, New Order, Diana Ross, Paul Newman. In 1986, he shot the ‘Faith’ sleeve for George Michael. In the following ten years he directed more than 100 music videos during the heyday of MTV.
In September 2000, while living in New York City, he began to concentrate on art and to devote himself to painting.
Young is best known for his enamel, screen-print paintings on linen, which explore celebrity, rock and roll, death and history. His earliest notable works as an artist are his "Pig Portraits", life-size Police mug shots of celebrities screened onto canvas. First shown in 2003 they proved a critical success and were exhibited in London and the United States. He followed this with his Fame + Shame series that explored American life as seen through the eyes of a young man growing up in England.
Young's work has been shown nationally and internationally including at Scope/Basel, Switzerland SCOPE Art Show and Art Miami, Florida.
Young is a supporter of The Art Of Elysium. The Art of Elysium was created in August 1997 in Los Angeles, California and the organization bridges the gap between the artistic community and hospitalized children by bringing in acting, art, music and various other artistic expressions to take the patients minds off of their circumstance and to give them an outlet to express. Young has been involved with many events where his pieces have been sold for the benefit of the charity.