Anne Russell

I love to bring in an element of humor and surprise, even if a piece has a more serious message. That’s like life, to me: even in the direst situation, something of the ridiculous lurks around the edges.

I often layer or blend ideas into one form. My favorite is the double take. I love when someone glances at a piece, and then turns to look again when they realize what they are really seeing. (Or what else is in there, just under the surface.) It’s a little sculptural sleight of hand to create the delight of slipping between one perception and another.

One of my new areas of exploration is the union of clay and metal. I especially the old rusted metal I seem to find everywhere in the open spaces around Santa Fe. The autumn colors and twisted shapes of weather-beaten metal perfectly express our own fragile organic state. We, too, shift and bend, exposed to time and the elements.

I work in series: an idea catches hold and I work through its various implications. Words often spark the process, but sometimes it's a shape, an image, music, or a memory. At times it's about seeking higher ground, or acknowledging the dark side in us all. Sometimes it is simpler: about curves completing, the flow of a spiral shape, or the interplay of clay and metal. Regardless of its message, every piece must be visually whole, beautiful in its form and harmonious in its final expression.