1958 Mixed Media Collage by James Spencer Russell

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A 1958 mixed media collage by American artist James Spencer Russell (1915-2000). This work consists of shapes of brown, black, … Read more A 1958 mixed media collage by American artist James Spencer Russell (1915-2000). This work consists of shapes of brown, black, and tan made by pasted cardboard, paint, and sand splotches against a plain white background. The piece is displayed in a silver metal frame and a white mat with the signature and date on the bottom right.

Born in Monticello, Indiana, Russell was interested in art from a young age but was directed into pursuing a military career by his family. As a young person, he attended a military academy, became a celebrated codebreaker during WWII, and even received a scholarship to attend West Point. However, Russell's interest in art eventually led him to abandon his military pursuits and try to make it in the art world instead. After working as an NBC set designer after WWII, he turned his attention to becoming a full-time artist. During the 1960s, he started exhibiting his works alongside artists who would later come to characterize the art scene at the time, including Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein. He later moved back to Indiana where he continued to create art until his death in 2000. See less