Russell Young

Russell Young (British, b. 1959) is a contemporary artist whose practice is connected to Celebrity Silkscreen. The work focuses primarily on prints & editions.

Exploring themes of seduction, desire and beauty, simmering just below the facade of the diamond-dusted works of the artist Russell Young is a dissection of the American Dream and the dark side of fame. At the height of their stardom, these icons seemingly had it all, yet for many the fame they chased proved to be their downfall. Placing Young firmly in the tradition of Andy Warhol, who pioneered the commodification of famous faces as tools of social critique, he even uses a Warholian silkscreen printing technique to produce his work on linen or canvas, mixing his paints from pigments he has gathered from all over the world.

Adopted at a young age, Young’s knowledge of his ancestry is vague. Yet rather than dwelling on this fact, it has empowered him to create a career, an identity and a home on the California coast, and evolve as an artist without obstacles to become the pre-eminent interpreter of images in film and music history.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, he photographed stars of the music world, including George Michael for the cover of the 1987 album ‘Faith’, and directed more than 100 music videos during MTV’s heyday, making him acutely aware of the price of fame. Relocating to California in 1992, his glittering yet abrasive works have made him one of the most sought-after artists of our time.