Robert Russell consistently addresses ideas of memory, iconography, and mortality in a personal language that is attentive to beauty, the history of painting, and the role of photography. Best known for his photorealism, Russell’s latest paintings are marked by a distinct soft focus indicative of the tenderness, personal affection, and emotional depth with which he approaches his subject. Set against a field of velvety black and decorated with blooming flowers, the gleaming porcelain bouquets seem to invoke the poignancy of memento mori and vanitas paintings, reminders of life’s fragility.
Robert Russell (b. 1971) completed his MFA at The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 2006. Recent solo exhibitions include The Cabin, Los Angeles; Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver, B.C.; LA><ART, Los Angeles; François Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles; Big Pond Artworks, Munich; and Osmos, New York. He has been included in numerous group shows in Los Angeles including Roberts and Tilton Gallery, Material Press MOCA LA, and M+B Gallery. Russell lives and works in Los Angeles.
EXHIBITIONS
Teacups, January 23 – March 6, 2021
Book Paintings, April 27 – June 1, 2019
More. Moore. More., March 17 – April 28, 2018
Mr Robert Russell
- Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
Education
- 2006
- MFA California Institute of the Arts
- 1994
- BFA Rhode Island School of Design
Solo Exhibitions
- 2022
- Solo Exhibition, Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY (Forthcoming)
- 2021
- Teacups, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2019
- Book Paintings, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles,CA
- 2018
- Moore. More. Moore., AE2, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016
- Lisa, The Cabin LA, Los Angeles, CA
- 2015
- Tonic Immobility, Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver, BC
- Amateurs, LA><ART, Los Angeles, CA
- Sein und Schein, Big Pond Artworks, Curated by Cay Sophie Rabinowitz, Munich, Germany
- 2013
- Paintings of Men Named Robert Russell, Osmos Gallery, New York, NY
- Paintings of Men Named Robert Russell, François Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2010
- Masters, Francois Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2007
- Scattershot, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2005
- Pink, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2004
- Recent Work, Limn Gallery, San Francisco, CA
- 2003
- Skaters, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- 2002
- Eight Gardeners, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- 2001
- After Images, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Group Exhibitions
- 2020
- Good Company: Pt. 1, Anat Ebgi Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA
- 2019
- Frieze LA, with Anat Ebgi, Los Ageles, CA
- The Conversation, Anat Ebgi at Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA
- 2018
- Art Los Angeles Contemporary, with Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016
- Perfect Day, Roberts and Tilton Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- The Art of Politics, Pasadena Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA
- 2015
- Loosely Bound: Launch of Material Press
- Performance of Men Named Robert Russell for Material Press, MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
- Manifest Justice, Los Angeles, CA
- 2013
- P&CO, Thomas Duncan Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2012
- SecondGuest, New York, NY
- Los Angeles Contemporary Tendencies, Curated by Annka Kultys, Helene Bailly Galleri, Paris, FR
- 2011
- The New Verisimilitude, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Art Brussels, Belgium
- The Los Angeles Initiative, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- On Forgery, Curated by Andrew Berardini and Lesley Moon, Los Angeles, CA
- 2010
- Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
- Group Exhibition, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
- Portugal Arte 10, Billboard Project, Lisbon, Portugal
- Portugal Arte 10, California Dreamin, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2009
- Dilettantes, Dandies and DivasGavlak Projects, Palm Beach, FL
- 2008
- Salon ARS LIBRI 500, The Cartin Colection, Boston, MA
- Going Out of Business, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2007
- Distinctive Messengers, Curated by Simon Watson and Craig Hensala, House of Campari, Venice, CA
- 2006
- Farewell to Icon, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- The 2nd Annual L.A. Weekly Biennial, MFA WMDs, Selections from LA Schools, Curated by Tom Christie and Holly Meyers, Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- Collisions & Pileups: CalArts 2006 MFA Thesis Exhibition, Armory Northwest, Los Angeles, CA
- Nightmares of Summer, Marcello Marvelli Gallery, New York, NY
- 2001
- The World of Figure, Limn Gallery, San Francisco, CA
- 2000
- The Changing Face of Portraiture, Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University, Orange, CA
Publications and Press
- 2021
- Aton, Francesca. "Artist Robert Russell Discusses Memorializing Teacups and Their Owners in His Photorealistic Paintings." ARTnews. February 25, 2021 (Link)
- Zellen, Jody. "Gallery Rounds: Robert Russell." artillery. February 17, 2021. (Link)
- Stromberg, Matt and Elisa Wouk Almino. "Your Concise Los Angeles Art Guide for February 2021." Hyperallergic. February 3, 2021 (Link)
- “Teacups” An Exhibition by Robert Russell at Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles." Purple Magazine. February 1, 2021 (Link)
- 2019
- Simmons, Jessica. "Robert Russell at Anat Ebgi." CARLA. May 22, 2019. (Link)
- Pagel, David. "Review: In Robert Russell’s ‘Book Paintings,’ what you see is not what you get." Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2019 [Print] (Link)
- Zellen, Jody. "Robert Russell Infusing Reproductions With New Life." Art NOW LA. May 17, 2019. (Link)
- "Book Paintings" at Anat Ebgi. Wall Street International Magazine. May 3, 2019. (Link)
- Nys Dambrot, Shana. "Meet an Artist Monday: Robert Russell." LA Weekly. April 22, 2019. (Link)
- 2013
- “Robert Russell: Men Who are Named Robert Russell”, Osmos Magazine, Spring 2013
- Mizota, Sharon, “Review: Robert Russell examines potency of a name in the Google age” Los Angeles Times July 25 2013
- Wagley, Catherine, “His Name is My Name, Too” LA Weekly July 24, 2013
- Frank, Priscilla, “Men Who are Named Robert Russell' Is Exactly What It Sounds Like” Huffington Post July 26 2013
- Malone, Tyler "One of Many Robert Russells", PMC Magazine Fall 2013
- 2012
- Socarras, Jorge, “Robert Russell” The Omen Magazine Issue 09 2012
- 2011
- Goldman, Edward, “The Art of Twisting and Turning Reality As We Know It” KCRW, April 2011
- Zellen. Jody, “Robert Russell : Masters” Artwrit May 2011
- 2007
- Tumlir, Jan, “Robert Russell”, Artforum May Issue, 2007
- Knight, Christopher "45 Painters Under 45," Los Angeles Times December 2, 2007
- Bedford, Christopher, “Robert Russell”, Artforum.com Critics Picks, March 15, 2007
- 2006
- Christie, Tom, and Holly Myers, "Afterschool Art", LA Weekly. September 6, 2006
- 2005
- Knight, Christopher "Bacon, Pork and just plain piggy," Los Angeles Times June 10, 2005
- 2003
- Juxtapoz Magazine "Showstoppers", July August 2003
- Myers, Holly "Where internal, external meet," Los Angeles Times, February, 28 2003
- 2001
- New American Paintings, Volume XXXI, January 2001
- Los Angeles Times, Calendar, January 4, 2001
- Artweek, Volume 32, February 2001
Artist in Residence
- Burrard Arts Foundation Vancouver, BC Canada
Oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches / 152.4 x 152.4 cm
Detail
Oil on canvas on panel 48 x 48 inches / 121.9 x 121.9 cm
Detail
Oil on canvas 60 x 72 inches / 152.4 x 182.9 cm
Detail
Oil on canvas 48 x 48 inches / 121.9 x 121.9
Detail
Oil on canvas 60 x 60 inches / 152.4 x 152.4 cm
Oil on canvas 60 x 72" [HxW] (152.4 x 182.88 cm) Inventory #RR1110
Oil on canvas 48 x 48 inches / 121.9 x 121.9 cm
Oil on canvas 60 x 72 inches / 152.4 x 182.9 cm
Oil on canvas 22 x 28 inches / 55.9 x 71.1 cm
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Russell consistently addresses ideas of memory, iconography, and mortality in a personal language that is attentive to beauty, the history of painting, and the role of photography. Best known for his photorealism, Russell’s latest paintings are marked by a distinct soft focus indicative of the tenderness, personal affection, and emotional depth with which he approaches his subject. Set against a field of velvety black and decorated with blooming flowers, the gleaming porcelain bouquets seem to invoke the poignancy of memento mori and vanitas paintings, reminders of life’s fragility.
Robert Russell (b. 1971) completed his MFA at The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in 2006. Recent solo exhibitions include The Cabin, Los Angeles; Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver, B.C.; LA><ART, Los Angeles; François Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles; Big Pond Artworks, Munich; and Osmos, New York. He has been included in numerous group shows in Los Angeles including Roberts and Tilton Gallery, Material Press MOCA LA, and M+B Gallery. Russell lives and works in Los Angeles.
EXHIBITIONS
Teacups, January 23 – March 6, 2021
Book Paintings, April 27 – June 1, 2019
More. Moore. More., March 17 – April 28, 2018
CV
Mr Robert Russell
- Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
Education
- 2006
- MFA California Institute of the Arts
- 1994
- BFA Rhode Island School of Design
Solo Exhibitions
- 2022
- Solo Exhibition, Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY (Forthcoming)
- 2021
- Teacups, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2019
- Book Paintings, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles,CA
- 2018
- Moore. More. Moore., AE2, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016
- Lisa, The Cabin LA, Los Angeles, CA
- 2015
- Tonic Immobility, Burrard Arts Foundation, Vancouver, BC
- Amateurs, LA><ART, Los Angeles, CA
- Sein und Schein, Big Pond Artworks, Curated by Cay Sophie Rabinowitz, Munich, Germany
- 2013
- Paintings of Men Named Robert Russell, Osmos Gallery, New York, NY
- Paintings of Men Named Robert Russell, François Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2010
- Masters, Francois Ghebaly Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2007
- Scattershot, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2005
- Pink, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2004
- Recent Work, Limn Gallery, San Francisco, CA
- 2003
- Skaters, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- 2002
- Eight Gardeners, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- 2001
- After Images, Frumkin/Duval Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
Group Exhibitions
- 2020
- Good Company: Pt. 1, Anat Ebgi Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles, CA
- 2019
- Frieze LA, with Anat Ebgi, Los Ageles, CA
- The Conversation, Anat Ebgi at Minnesota Street Project, San Francisco, CA
- 2018
- Art Los Angeles Contemporary, with Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016
- Perfect Day, Roberts and Tilton Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- The Art of Politics, Pasadena Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA
- 2015
- Loosely Bound: Launch of Material Press
- Performance of Men Named Robert Russell for Material Press, MOCA, Los Angeles, CA
- Manifest Justice, Los Angeles, CA
- 2013
- P&CO, Thomas Duncan Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2012
- SecondGuest, New York, NY
- Los Angeles Contemporary Tendencies, Curated by Annka Kultys, Helene Bailly Galleri, Paris, FR
- 2011
- The New Verisimilitude, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Art Brussels, Belgium
- The Los Angeles Initiative, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- On Forgery, Curated by Andrew Berardini and Lesley Moon, Los Angeles, CA
- 2010
- Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
- Group Exhibition, Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
- Portugal Arte 10, Billboard Project, Lisbon, Portugal
- Portugal Arte 10, California Dreamin, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2009
- Dilettantes, Dandies and DivasGavlak Projects, Palm Beach, FL
- 2008
- Salon ARS LIBRI 500, The Cartin Colection, Boston, MA
- Going Out of Business, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2007
- Distinctive Messengers, Curated by Simon Watson and Craig Hensala, House of Campari, Venice, CA
- 2006
- Farewell to Icon, Anna Helwing Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- The 2nd Annual L.A. Weekly Biennial, MFA WMDs, Selections from LA Schools, Curated by Tom Christie and Holly Meyers, Track 16 Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
- Collisions & Pileups: CalArts 2006 MFA Thesis Exhibition, Armory Northwest, Los Angeles, CA
- Nightmares of Summer, Marcello Marvelli Gallery, New York, NY
- 2001
- The World of Figure, Limn Gallery, San Francisco, CA
- 2000
- The Changing Face of Portraiture, Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University, Orange, CA
Publications and Press
- 2021
- Aton, Francesca. "Artist Robert Russell Discusses Memorializing Teacups and Their Owners in His Photorealistic Paintings." ARTnews. February 25, 2021 (Link)
- Zellen, Jody. "Gallery Rounds: Robert Russell." artillery. February 17, 2021. (Link)
- Stromberg, Matt and Elisa Wouk Almino. "Your Concise Los Angeles Art Guide for February 2021." Hyperallergic. February 3, 2021 (Link)
- “Teacups” An Exhibition by Robert Russell at Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles." Purple Magazine. February 1, 2021 (Link)
- 2019
- Simmons, Jessica. "Robert Russell at Anat Ebgi." CARLA. May 22, 2019. (Link)
- Pagel, David. "Review: In Robert Russell’s ‘Book Paintings,’ what you see is not what you get." Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2019 [Print] (Link)
- Zellen, Jody. "Robert Russell Infusing Reproductions With New Life." Art NOW LA. May 17, 2019. (Link)
- "Book Paintings" at Anat Ebgi. Wall Street International Magazine. May 3, 2019. (Link)
- Nys Dambrot, Shana. "Meet an Artist Monday: Robert Russell." LA Weekly. April 22, 2019. (Link)
- 2013
- “Robert Russell: Men Who are Named Robert Russell”, Osmos Magazine, Spring 2013
- Mizota, Sharon, “Review: Robert Russell examines potency of a name in the Google age” Los Angeles Times July 25 2013
- Wagley, Catherine, “His Name is My Name, Too” LA Weekly July 24, 2013
- Frank, Priscilla, “Men Who are Named Robert Russell' Is Exactly What It Sounds Like” Huffington Post July 26 2013
- Malone, Tyler "One of Many Robert Russells", PMC Magazine Fall 2013
- 2012
- Socarras, Jorge, “Robert Russell” The Omen Magazine Issue 09 2012
- 2011
- Goldman, Edward, “The Art of Twisting and Turning Reality As We Know It” KCRW, April 2011
- Zellen. Jody, “Robert Russell : Masters” Artwrit May 2011
- 2007
- Tumlir, Jan, “Robert Russell”, Artforum May Issue, 2007
- Knight, Christopher "45 Painters Under 45," Los Angeles Times December 2, 2007
- Bedford, Christopher, “Robert Russell”, Artforum.com Critics Picks, March 15, 2007
- 2006
- Christie, Tom, and Holly Myers, "Afterschool Art", LA Weekly. September 6, 2006
- 2005
- Knight, Christopher "Bacon, Pork and just plain piggy," Los Angeles Times June 10, 2005
- 2003
- Juxtapoz Magazine "Showstoppers", July August 2003
- Myers, Holly "Where internal, external meet," Los Angeles Times, February, 28 2003
- 2001
- New American Paintings, Volume XXXI, January 2001
- Los Angeles Times, Calendar, January 4, 2001
- Artweek, Volume 32, February 2001
Artist in Residence
- Burrard Arts Foundation Vancouver, BC Canada