Brian Russell began his career as a professional artist in the mid 1980's, creating furniture and functional objects in welded steel. In 1985, he discovered the sculptural possibilities of working with hot, forged metals and began creating ornamental pieces for his clients ranging in scale from firescreens to entry gates. He also became interested in incorporating color in to his metal pieces and he began exploring applications of fused glass and pate-de-verre.
In 1994, Russell moved his studio and home to 15 acres of secluded property outside Memphis. Here he greatly expanded his capabilities in creating large sculpture. In his travels to New Zealand in the late 90's, he studied the lost wax technique for glass casting and returned to the states, determined to combine luminous, sculptural, glass elements with his metal forms.
Most recently, several site specific commissions have been completed by the artist. "The Virtures" includes six, 10' tall, illuminated, outdoor works for the campus of the Church Health Center of Memphis. In San Fransisco, Lark Creek Steak unveiled "Run Wild", a continuous, 30' long piece of forged steel supporting multiple, cast glass elements and the First Tennessee Bank in Memphis acquired the dynamic, outdoor piece, "Curvilineaer Motion". Works by Brian Russell can also be found in the collections of the Cafejiian Museum, Minneapolis, the Tennessee State Museum, Memphis, Energy Capital Partners, New York and Urban Retail Properties in Chicago.
In August, Russell's 9.5' tall work, "Ascension", was installed by the Dublin Arts Council, in Dublin, Ohio's Coffman Park, as one of five, outdoor works by artists from around the country, to be placed in the year long exhibition, "Titration".
Brian Russell continues to create both public and private sculpture that gracefully marry the distinctive qualities of forged metal and cast glass. In this, his third exhibition with the gallery, you will find a selection of new and dramatic works intended for both interior and exterior spaces. |
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