Russell Young
Born in the UK
Working in California & New York
known for: Silk Screen Printing, Pop Art, Abstract Painting and Diamond Dust
Image credit:Flaunt Magazine
The background
Russell Young was born on March 13, 1959 in York, United Kingdom where he lived with his adopted parents Ken and Lesley Young. Young studied at Chester Art College and then continued his education further at Exeter College of Art. After he finished his studies, he moved to London where he got a job assisting a photographer named Christos Raftopoulos. Young believes that his time spent in school served him little to no benefit; he jokes that the only thing enrolling in school did for him, at the time, was keep him out of trouble. His work with Raftopoulos exposed him to a world of Punk and rock icons in the 90’s. His photos quickly became widely remarked, and Young soon found himself shooting stars like Paul Newman, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that Young transitioned from photography and film to start working full-time on his painting career. Young was heavily influenced by his early work in photography, which has shown through in many of his noteworthy, silkscreen pieces.
Young loves the outdoors and physically challenging himself, so much so that he will go on day or week-long excursions alone where he sleeps under freeways, swims miles out into the ocean, and surfs large waves. Young says that there is this “life or death” aspect that excites him about testing the limits of his own abilities.
Young identifies himself as someone who is always hyper-aware of his surroundings, and throughout our interview he repeatedly exclaimed, “I am always looking.” As an incredibly visual person, he finds himself constantly analyzing and taking in the essence of his environment; the beach is just one example of a place where he goes to just study the textures, patterns, and colors that surround him.
Young is now one of the most sought after artists for his iconic Pop Art diamond dust paintings with exhibitions world wide from London, Paris, Singapore, New York, to Los Angeles, to name a few.
The Interview
How has your personal life impacted your art?
Russell Young was in a foster home for roughly the first two weeks of his life before a nunnery and soon thereafter adopted. His brother was also adopted and now he himself has adopted 2 of his 3 children. Young had a close friend visit who spent some time with him just listening to one another and talking. He explained that they had come up with the conclusion together that it was perhaps because of the uncertainty surrounding the identity of his birth parents as well as their heritage, that he is “not encumbered” by his past or history. He claimed, “I am able to search for my own history” and he has the ability to “go into the archives of history and choose the protagonist of his images” unattached. There’s almost this beauty of not knowing the past that is freeing.
How old were you when your interest in art began? When did you start seriously considering a career in art, and was that an easy or hard decision for you?
“My earliest memory is from when I was around three or four years old. I was given graphite pencils as a gift from a relative. I started drawing these scary looking trees.”
Young explained that it wasn’t a matter of being easy or hard, but rather something that came naturally. His early professional career in photography piqued his interest with light and dark, contrast, and negatives. So, when he started working with the silk screen as a medium, he thought the transition was “a natural progression.”
Why diamond dust?
“I wanted to make my work more three dimensional and reflective.”
When discussing his use of diamond dust, Young mentioned that in fact some of the diamond dust he used within his earlier works was from an old bag that once belonged to Andy Warhol. Young was given access to Warhol’s diamond dust as a result of working with the same master printer. We then started discussing Warhol and what and if he admired most about him. Young mentioned this idea of “fame and shame” and how it was an attractive concept to him. In addition, he mentioned how loves the “underbelly of crime and people’s lives” that is depicted within not only Warhol’s, but Youngs work himself. Young explains that it is the “juxtaposition of the two” that he absolutely loves. Yet, for Young he said what he likes most about Warhol’s work is the simplicity of image and information within his work, “if anything this is what I took away from Warhol.” The eye can see the information for what it is and register it easily.
How did you transition from an early career in the music industry to one within art?
“I was a photographer in the music industry during the late 80s and 90s and directed over 100 music videos. However, I fell out of love with the music industry and it fell out of love with me too.”
Image Credit: https://flaunt.com/content/qampa-russell-young
What does that space you do your work in look like?
“I work in an old aircraft hangar as a studio space. I work hours at a time in there and never allow anyone else into my studio. All I keep with me in my studio is a pot of coffee, an old vinyl record player, and maybe some snacks!”
“There isn’t even any running water”
Russell mentioned that he never brings technology into his studio space. He believes that cell phones ruin all sense of creativity.
“phones are evil for creativity”
When I asked him later on during our conversation if he had any advice for aspiring artists today, he replied “put down your F*****g phone!” He mentioned that in order to allow room for creativity we must let ourselves be bored. He said, “Through the other side of that boredom comes some amazing stuff.” In fact, Young mentioned there was a period of roughly three years where he had no contact with the outside world, “I had no clue what was going on in the world, and it was during those three years that I made some of my best and most creative work.”
What do you believe is the most important identifying characteristic that separates a good artist from a great one?
Young answered this question really with a few answers. First, he mentioned that there needs to be a sort of “nonchalance” to the process. He then went on to describe that when being an artist “you have to be brave; we are all influenced by somebody and something.” He claimed that “we all have references and we all have differences in how we live.” When he personally is going through the creative process, he mentioned this idea the he is “becoming nonchalant” or “not even aware” in his case, of what he is doing. He explained that when he looks back at some of the paintings that he had created back during the beginning of COVID in March, he had a hard time figuring out how he had even done most of them.
I was so fascinated by this and even more so when he explained that he mixed all of his own paint pigments. He went on and mentioned, “I never write down the colors I mix, they only exist for that brief moment, it’s an instinct.” Again, proving his point that he becomes almost lost in his work when he is in his studio.
What is your favorite part about what you do?
“Just being able to do what I love”
Young mentioned that he was living his dream. He loves just having a studio where he can go and simply paint.
Was it hard to kickstart you career in the beginning?
“oh yes absolutely, I spent three or four years in my twenties working 18- 20 hours without sleep!”
Young believes that it’s vital to take advantage of our youth because not only are our bodies physically more capable, but mentally they can sustain more as well. The long hours without sleep therefore allowed him in his early 20s to create more art and work harder to get him where is is today.
This conversation only scratched the service to what a thought-provoking and truly talented artist that makes up who Russell Young is. I look forward to hopefully speaking further with Young, and sharing what more I learn about his art and persona.
Thanks for reading!
Below Young shares more on his Heroes + Heroines collection
Image credit:https://www.artangels.net
For inquiries:
Halycon Gallery
Art Angels
