Why you feel beautiful on Holiday

Beauty is infectious.

That’s the secret.

A few years ago a close friend and patron of my work was exceptionally kind to open up their world to me when I was flat broke.

I was in the middle of a project that I thought was essential for London at a time when everyone was struggling and they believed in me. So much so, that they gave me their apartment in Central London as a place to live and create.

I’d never lived in Zone 1, and my exposure to luxury living was limited to sneaking into first-class trains and my second-hand iPhone. He left me the keys and said.

“ Enjoy the place like it’s your own, I feel like you might learn something from living somewhere nice for a while”

It changed my life.

We’re not that different from trees

We soak up the environment around us, trying our hardest to process what hurts us and use what feeds us to make something to pour back into the system.

Our ability to process the space around us is based on what we’ve experienced so far and how much we can handle at that time.

For me living in a beautiful home was overwhelming at first, but over time I learned from it. My perspective on finish and craftsmanship was elevated. I’d sat at tables before, but a freshly laid Italian marble counter was new (side note, these don’t mix with red wine).

When you’re in a safe environment, with nourishing items, you will grow faster.

Just like a plant in good soil, it is easier to grow.

Our bodies and minds adapt to our space.

I left that home in central London with a small token of my appreciation, something that captured the glow of London from the window during sunrise.

My friend has a difficult relationship with sleep and I wanted to make something that caught the sunrise for him, knowing it’s something he would rarely experience.

He sleeps better now, and since having the work he’s seen sunrise more than I have.

Strange how things work out.

Everything is a Mirror.

We see the world through the lens of our past experiences, and we are limited to seeing only what we have been shown before.

If art has any purpose at all, it’s that it gives us a fresh perspective.

If everything is a mirror, Art is more like a funny-shaped carnival mirror than a luxury piece of clothing.

It lets you see a novel perspective in yourself and your life.

Its purpose of providing an alternative perspective removes the shadows that cloud our view.

Everything I make has the aim of providing such a novel experience or view point.

The mirrors are some of the more literal works; the paintings, my way of digging into the darkness of who we are, and finding a way to love those sides as much as they deserve.

If you want to see some of this work, I’m currently showing at 81 Kings Road, London.

Come down any day this week until Sunday to say hi to me or my friend Michele Bagnod who is also showing.

Also if you want a free mirror, I’m giving one away to someone that attends the show.

Just come down and ask for a ticket. I’ll give one away next week to someone selected at random.

Sneak peek

Like it?

let me know in the comments section and I’ll try and send you a sample when it’s ready…

More info soon…

Nothing but love,

Russ

Love Interviews

Around Fall 2022 I started interviewing people about their view on love. I’d just closed up my London show and I was struggling to put together the emotional fallout of our confession booth installation.

Like many people who entered the room, I felt I didn’t understand what love meant. I’m still not sure, but I know it’s important. I started talking opening up the conversation to see if I could learn alongside other people trying to figure out what it meant to them.

There are times when speaking to people fills me with hope and there are times when my interactions show me the harrowing pain that love or the pursuit of it can cause. This week I’m delivering a painting to an interviewee that filled me with hope.

They taught me an important lesson, that we are flexible. Love is a channel between us, it can be grown, developed, and morphed over time. It must be maintained, the walls strengthened, and the energy that flows along it carefully curated. But, if you’re good at it, you can use it to give each other some incredible experiences.

I’ll never forget the composure and steadiness of the love they described, it had all the tenants of the debaucherous and decadent stories I’d heard in Miami but it felt nourishing. What if I could have my cake and eat it, and also provide this for my partner?

I’m a big fan of boundaries in my life, I’m a hopeless romantic so it’s generally safer for me to just stay away from the world. This interview taught me how far you could take a relationship, but it left me trying to understand how different types of love or relationships can affect one another. I’m still not sure I understand it, but I know it’s confusing.

The project is ongoing, and I’m about to head out of the country to find some new stories that will give me something a little more raw than what we have available in London.

If you’re interested in this project and want to hear more about the interviews let me know by hitting the feedback button at the bottom of the email

Reading List

Here’s what I’m reading and consuming this week.

 🔊 Le Petite Tote - If you want a sneak peek into my process, this project is launching in October(ish_). Right now, there are 3 WhatsApp groups, a crazy bunch of designers, artists, and wizards all unified by a playlist of 10 songs.

📖 The Non-objective World: Bauhausbücher 11 - For the Art geeks. If you’re interested in the reality of feelings suprematism may be your jam. I know Team Russia aren’t everyone’s cup of tea right now, but their early 1900 avant-garde work, wrestling the mask of life from the true face of art, has a vibe.

My Mom signed up and sent me feedback

Thanks Mom, love you loads.