Click here to visit Russell Mills' previous website
If you're interested in buying paintings and other works by Russell Mills, please email mills@matter-shed.co.uk
Sedition, Tullie House Art Gallery, Carlisle
Mills has been selected to contribute works to the group exhibition of innovatory work from Cumbria Sedition at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle. The exhibition will run from 18th September 2010 to 28th November 2010.
For Sedition, Russell Mills presents three Thought Engines from an ongoing series of work, which began in 2005. The artist describes these works as ‘figures of speech’. ‘Not’, he goes on, ‘the common simile or metaphor (the substitution of like for like) but more like metonymy (substitution of an attribute for a holder, e.g. a crown for a king). Some will act as a synecdoche (part for whole); for instance an egg shell can refer to or stand for an egg, or for food, or for good living, or for new life and innocence. These objects are familiar and understandable, stained with a patina of time and traces of use, thereby suggesting possible histories. And yet when eased into improbable alliances with other objects, they become signifiers of potential, of what might be rather than what is or what has been.’
Russell Mills will be providing an illustrated talk about his work on 27 November.
Forward to Far at Armitt Museum, Ambleside
Mills, with collaborator Ian Walton, has an exhibition of recent collages opening on July 3rd at the Armitt Museum and Library in Ambleside, Cumbria. The exhibition entitled "Forward To Far (Telescoping Time: From Schwitters To Now)" runs until October 30th 2010. The exhibition will be accompanied by a selection of rarely seen Kurt Schwitters' collages from the collection of Geoff Thomas.
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click on thumbnails for larger version and artwork details
Now Then film for Jan Bang
A film by Mills entitled Now Then is being used to accompany Jan Bang's recent CD release on David Sylvian's label's website. Please go to www.samadhisound.com/janbang for more info.
Now Then at BFI London
The film Now Then by Mills will be shown at the BFI in London on July 3rd as part of the Royal College of Art's Acoustic Images screenings and performances.
MAP, Royal College of Art and Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Mills has just completed work as a tutor working with students from the Royal College of Art and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on this year's MAP (Music and Performance) project. The project culminated in an evening of ten multimedia performances at The Pit Theatre in the Barbican, London on June 10th.
DRAW: Thoughts Becoming Lines at RCA, London
In April 2010, Mills' working drawings towards works for Nine Inch Nails were exhibited in DRAW: Thoughts Becoming Lines at the Royal College of Art, London.
University of Derby
Mills once again contributed three new works to an exhibition to raise money for the University of Derby Fine Art Department graduate catalogue.
New commission for Fellini's Restaurant and Cinema, Ambleside
Mills has just completed three new mixed media paintings for a new mediterranean vegetarian restaurant and cinema in his home town of Ambleside in the Lake District, Cumbria.
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click on thumbnails for larger version and artwork details
Russell Mills on Hard Format
Hard Format (Reaching for the sublime in music design) has created a showcase of some of Mills' best cover art pieces. Visit the page here
Recent work
Click on thumbnails for larger images and artwork details.
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Nils Petter Molvaer "Hamada"
Mills is designing the CD packaging for Nils Petter Molvaer's forthcoming release "Hamada" out soon on Universal.
The Art of Lost Words, 5th – 9th March 2009
Mills has contributed a new piece for the show "The Art of Lost Words" - a new exhibition of design and illustration inspired by language’s forgotten words. The show is at The German Gymnasium, Pancras Road, London from 5th to 9th March 2009.
Fourth Door Review
Various artworks made by Mills for David Sylvian, including works for the album "Gone To Earth" and for the book "Trophies", will be featured in a major article and rare interview with Sylvian in the publication Fourth Door Review later this year, 2009 (publication date to be confirmed). Also in the same issue will be an article featuring Harold Budd accompanied by images of Mills' set and lighting design for the Harold Budd concert at the Brighton Dome as part of the Brighton Festival in 2005.
"Art Postcards", Derby City Museum and Art Gallery, February 27th - March 1st
Mills has contributed two new works for the annual "Art Postcards" exhibition for the University of Derby Fine Art Department. All contributions are exhibited anonymously, the artists' identities only being revealed on purchase. All proceeds go towards the publication of a catalogue for the Fine Art Students' degree Show in June 2009. This is the fourth year that Mills has contributed to this event.
The Whitby Conference; 7th and 8th November, 2008
Mills will be a guest speaker at this year's Whitby Conference on 7th and 8th November 2008.
Other speakers include world-renowned architect Piers Gough, Richard Seymour one of the world's most influential product designers, Peter Saville a key figure in the graphic design world, Pat Schleger graphic designer and widow of the influential graphic designer and champion of Modernism Hans Schleger and painter Jake Attree. Also appearing will be Steve Phillips, member of Mark Knopfler's Notting Hillbillies and acclaimed as Europe's finest acoustic Blues guitarist.
For more information see: www.whitby-conference.org
Scene Norway at Kings Place, London; 17th - 23rd November, 2008
Mills will be creating the lighting and visual designs for 3 nights of concerts for the Punkt Festival nights during this week of events. Under the umbrella of the London Jazz Festival in association with BBC Radio 3, Fiona Talkington of Late Junction has put together an amazing selection of music and arts from Norway. Highlights include the first UK visit of Kristiansand's acclaimed 'Punkt Festival', with guests including Sidsel Endresen, Nils Petter Molvaer and Eivind Aarset. Trumpeter Arve Henrikson joins the London Sinfonietta for a new commission. There'll be music from the Mari Boine band and Bugge Wesseltoft plus a week of dance, drama and ice percussion for all the family to enjoy. Literature events include an evening with Ketil Bjornstad. There are film screenings, and in Kings Place gallery an exhibition of new work in granite and in glass by the sculptor Nico Widerberg.
For more information see: www.kingsplace.co.uk
Nine Inch Nails Documentary film
October 08
Mills has been approached to contribute to a documentary film about Nine Inch Nails being made by Angry Penguins Production Company. The Nine Inch Nails project is an independently funded, in-depth retrospective of Trent Reznor's highly influential early work. The producers are hoping to gain a collection of intimate and engaging interviews from producers, engineers, musicians, promoters, photographers - key people involved with NIN during the 90s era. Filming begins in November. Details of a UK DVD release date will be announced when known.
Nyman's Piano Concerto cover design
October 08
Artwork and design for a new CD by Michael Nyman, MN Records. Co-design by Michael Webster (storm).
www.michaelnyman.com
Interview with Russell Mills
October 08
Russell Mills responds to questions from Emily Keegin, photography student at the Royal College of Art, towards her MA dissertation - Summer 2008.
Emily Keegin: - What is your process when designing for musical endeavours (record covers etc)? And what do you see are the goals of such design work?
Russell Mills: - The process varies depending on various factors - the nature of the music, the artist(s), the deadline, whether or not the
artist(s) choses to get involved or has provided me with ideas and or images to use. Generally, and thankfully, I'm asked to do whatever I feel is best without interference. In this I aim to produce a work that reflects or suggests some of the essence of the music without recourse to the specific or to the obvious or to narrative. Occasionally I'm asked to and am obliged to work with supplied images and/or some minimal direction/ideas, which emerge out of conversations where ideas and opinions are batted back and forth until we reach an agreed direction...
Nine Inch Nails logo on display
august 08
The iron NIN logo (3' x 4' x 4") that Mills created for Nine Inch Nails towards use in the artwork for "The Downward Spiral" album is on display at Plum Piano Music in Ambleside, Cumbria. The logo was taken out onto the Lakeland fells and subjected to various processes - covered in moss, leaves, plaster dust, gold leaf, a dead ram, snow, submerged in the shallows of Grasmere Lake and set ablaze. Each process or treatment was photographed. The results were submitted to Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails for consideration, along with the 20 plus paintings and assemblages that Mills produced for both "The Downward Spiral", "Further Down The Spiral" and "March of the Pigs" releases.
Unfortunately the images of the logo were not used. To accompany the iron logo a selection of photographic prints of the logo undergoing various processes are also on display. The logo and the prints are for sale; please direct all enquiries to: - Plum Piano Music, Old Mill Road, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9DT;
tel: - 015394 31166; info@plumpiano.co.uk
www.plumpiano.co.uk
Local Too exhibition
august 08
Mills has several new paintings in a group show "Local Too" at Mill Yard Studios, Staveley, Cumbria, LA8 9LS
22 August - 21 September. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 11.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. each day.
Dialogue Boxes
July 08
Assemblage box works; a two person exhibition with Phil Mouldycliff is at 20/21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, from 14th June - 11th October 2008
What Are You Like?
July 08
Museum of Illustration at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, London rom 9th September 2008 - 18 Jan 2009. Mills has produced a new collage for this group exhibition.
Punkt
July 08
CD folder, 2008; containing cover etc., for the CD - Punkt with Jon Hassell and Sidsel Endresen. Artwork by Mills; design by Alf Solbakken and Nina Bang.
Michael Nyman
June 08
Artwork and design for a series of CDs, MN Records.
Nils Petter Molvaer "Re-Vision"
may 08
Artwork and design, Universal Music, 2008.
Silver the world into strangeness
april 08
Set of postcards for RCA Secrets exhibition, 2007.
