James Spencer Russell Signed Self-Portrait Graphite Drawing

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A self-portrait graphite drawing by American artist James Spencer Russell (1915-2000). Signed to the lower right corner, the drawing illustrates … Read more A self-portrait graphite drawing by American artist James Spencer Russell (1915-2000). Signed to the lower right corner, the drawing illustrates an arrangement of triangles situated into a rhombus. Each triangle depicts a portion of a self-portrait of the artist, a numbered grid, white noise, and arched stripes.

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 Westpoint. 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 Lichenstein. He later moved back to Indiana where he continued to create art until his death in 2000. See less