An Interview with Artist Sidney Russell

Humanity and personal experience combine in the artwork of Sidney Russell. Her work reflects an acute awareness of the humor and whimsy of everyday life as she transforms objects into oversized versions of themselves. Her most recent solo exhibition, I Studied Design in Grade School, will showcase at Eckert Fine Art from August 28th  through September 27th and conveys her poetic perspective and interest in exploring the nature of objects and their relation to memory.

With this exhibition, Russell is inviting the public to step into her autobiography. Russell says, "the work showcases clothing and wearable objects I'm familiar with, some are even from my own closest … A lot of these clothes are distinctly from my generation; they're not necessarily popular looks." Each piece carries a lot of spirit and sentimentality.

Russell knew she wanted to be an artist from the young age of three. "I would wake up at two or three in the morning, wake up my brother, and go to the craft drawer my mother kept for us. Then I would tell my brother; we're going to make a city today! My drive to create was the strongest feeling I had. It's a wonderful part of life, and if you're lucky enough, you can make time to pursue your passion." Russell adds, "I'm also very fortunate that I had the support of my family to create, and I've grown and had a lot of personal development within my studio."

The exhibition will continue Russell's work with reconstructing and deconstructing the familiar and ordinary. By exaggerating the size of seemingly everyday clothing, she wonders, "Would this still be recognizable if it were 8 or 10 feet tall?" Russell reminisces about hiking through the West Coast's terrain, excited for the journey ahead. It's these experiences that serve as inspiration for a giant hiking boot, titled Hiking Boot, "from countless experiences hiking, mostly in Yosemite," Russell notes. "We climb peaks in the high country, and there's a tortured element, to tell the truth! This one (the enlarged boot) looks comfortable, but the real thing wears on you after 10 miles! It becomes an icon for a hiking boot, rather than a hiking boot, as it doesn't have a worn look." Russell shows how memories are the ideal of the experience. Each work sets a particular memory in amber, aiming to capture the spirit of the moment.

In her work Russell borrows from her life and studio. For this exhibition, she created a work glove and tool belt, titled Tool belt and Work Glove , which she frequently uses to create and affect the viewer. Although these tools are unseen in the result, nothing could come to light without their support in the process, making them invaluable to her work. Russell draws attention to the unsung heroes of our lives, who we frequently forget to pay our respect to.

The viewer can see her attention to detail in one of her beautiful Hawaiian shirts, which is decorated with an assortment of Chinese vegetables. Russell painstakingly painted their "figures, shapes and huge roots," she adds that, "in the San Francisco markets, there are long blocks with a beautiful variety of produce, and I couldn't help but paint them." Thus reaffirming that she draws inspiration every day and in the past as she reflects on memories that feel larger than life.

The red dress, titled Red Dress, featured in the exhibition is Russell's prom dress she recalls wearing at 18. The work is not an exact replica of the physical dress but instead captures the spirit and freedom she felt. "I remember having the most glorious time dancing and feeling very free. The painting on that piece works to describe that particular freedom of having no restrictions and rules, and feeling optimistic about moving into the future." Russell humbly notes, "It's very ordinary and common things, but the scale and the painting choices make them stand out in their own way."

Russell's approach to painting itself is internal to the conversation about her work. If one were to describe a piece as simply an experiment with scale and exaggeration, you would only scratch the surface. She pays close attention to the "gesture of the paint, which entails a lot of whimsy, and a unique post impressionist style of work." Russell "conveys intimacy and personality" through her broad earth tone palette.

"Some of the work feels reminiscent of van Gogh or Claes Oldenburg. The two reference points are interesting because their painting is from a male perspective, so for a woman to be referencing them is transformative." In her work, Russell makes art more universal by borrowing inspiration from notable male artists; she reaffirms that art isn't bound to gender. Russell notes that other artistic influences include "Monet and the waterlilies," She says thoughtfully. "He got really into the feeling and experience of what it's like to see something and experience it and captured that in his work. The artist's task is to get underneath the object and get to the experience of what is meaningful, and that is almost impossible. But I still try to get really underneath, to communicate something both personal and universal in human experience."

Russell entered the art world through her work as a scenic artist for the San Francisco Opera, Ballet, and A.C.T. of 14 years. While working on an opera called Transformations, composed by Conrad Susa with a libretto by Anne Sexton, Russell first had the impulse to create oversized works. She comments that in her scenic work, "I dealt with scale and drama frequently, and this was scenic art that entailed a lot of painting and very detailed work, we didn't have projection or design to carry out a set." Russell adds, "The opera was about delusions, and parts of the opera had things like large rolls of toilet paper or combs. I remember being so struck by the scale and thinking that we all have a sense of how everyday objects look in our lives. Still, we don't get to experience what they look like when we're standing next to a huge one." She continues, "Well, some people say 'everything has already been done, and nothing is unique,' but it's how you do it and how you see it that makes it your own. I don't feel competitive with others because my work has its direction and my Character.

Russell's methodical and whimsical work can be viewed at Eckert Fine Art from August 28th to September 27th, for her solo exhibition.