WILLIAM RUSS
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ARTIST STATEMENT
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"I’ve always been drawn to clouds as representations of human emotions and thoughts. Clouds are constantly moving and transforming right in front of you, sometimes dramatically, and sometimes so slowly and quietly that you don’t notice until much later. In the same way, clouds can really show my state of mind. It’s as though I am painting my internal thoughts right onto the paper or canvas – they can be tumultuous and energetic, overwhelming, distant, weighted, or even paradoxical. They can race as fast as the wind, they can blend together, or they can morph and grow into something completely different from their original form.
The inspiration for this series came from gas clouds and other cosmic entities pictured in NASA imagery. Chaos was an element in all these pieces. The vivid colors explode in some places, blend together in others, and even collide and overlap with each other. Throughout the collection, you can see a dichotomy of opposing forces. The lines wind and wrap around, creating a distorted and ethereal mood.
In my formative years, I leaned into a classical style of landscape painting. But like the ever-changing sky, I started to find beauty more in the simple color and shape than in the representational forms themselves. This collection is more of a blend of traditional and abstract. Instead of depicting the clouds as I see them in the moment, I wanted to capture the motion and the change, the quiet chaos that is always ongoing. Although you can’t necessarily always see it, or reach out in touch it, it is always there. I think by focusing on the colors and lines, the nature of this change, everyone can find something in that concept to connect to and move them visually."
William Russ grew up in Florida surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty. In his quest to display emotional states using color, lighting, and motion, he draws inspiration from those surroundings.
William attended Ringling School of Art and Design, where he practiced a more classical approach to painting, at a time when the fine art community was leaning heavily toward conceptualism. His work now blends conceptual philosophies with traditional techniques.
“My work is very much a balancing act, a give-and-take. Motion is important to me, so I always start with very loose lines to develop composition and structure, layering everything together, pushing and pulling until the forms reveal themselves.”
William’s studio is located in central Florida, where he lives with his fiancée, and enjoys analyzing the colors of the sunset and the shapes and motions of the clouds.