PHOTOGRAPHY CALIFORNIA, USA Russell Young, born in 1959 in Yorkshire, is a British-American artist renowned for his large-scale silk screen paintings that delve into the complexities of cultural icons, the allure and pitfalls of fame, and the darker undercurrents of the American Dream. His work captures the tension between celebrity and reality, exploring the often tumultuous lives of those in the public eye. Young's first major breakthrough came in 1987 with his iconic photography for George Michael's album Faith, a project that cemented his reputation in the music and visual arts industries. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he photographed some of the biggest music stars of the era, including Morrissey, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, REM, The Smiths, Bauhaus, Diana Ross, Paul Newman, Björk, and many others. His talent behind the camera also led him to direct over 100 music videos for leading artists during MTV's golden age in the 1990s, a period that ultimately brought him to the United States. Upon relocating to California, Young transitioned from photography and video to fine art, launching his current practice with the critically acclaimed and sold-out show Pig Portraits in Los Angeles in 2003. His subsequent series, including the ongoing Heroes + Heroines and WEST, showcase his visceral, analog processes and his signature use of diamond dust, which adds a glittering, tactile element to his works. These series have solidified his status as a major contemporary artist. Young's work has been exhibited globally in prestigious galleries and museums, including the Modern Art Museum Shanghai, Multimedia Art Museum Moscow, Cornell Art Museum, Polk Museum of Art, and the Goss-Michael Foundation. In 2022, Young entered the digital art world with the debut of his genesis NFT on SuperRare, which sold quickly, marking his successful foray into the burgeoning world of digital and crypto art. His works are part of many prominent private and institutional collections, including those of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Barack Obama, David Bowie, Drake, Angelina Jolie, David Hockney, Kanye West, and Brad Pitt. His art also resides in esteemed collections such as The Getty Collection in Los Angeles and The White House Collection in Washington, D.C. Russell Young's pieces are highly sought after in the art market, regularly crossing the auction blocks at major auction houses like Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips. His work continues to captivate and challenge audiences, making him one of the most significant artists of his generation.