The tenth episode of the podcast features Kory Russell just as he is preparing for his debut as one of Chattanooga's Emerging Artists at the 4 Bridges Art festival.
Kory Russell is a painter living and working in the Chattanooga area. His work is known for its colorful, high contrast images that come together to form a narrative that feels simultaneously reflective and contemporary.
"I want to get lost in a story..."
- Kory Russell
When you see a Kory Russell painting, it immediately draws you into another world. It is easy to get lost in another time and place where your imagination is allowed free to wander. This seems to come from a very authentic, natural part of the artist himself. Kory is a bit of an old soul with a passion for vintage jazz poster design and a love for images and objects that tell a story. This historic sensibility is woven into Kory's work and presents a narrative that is impossible not to ponder.
' The Twig & Leaf Diner '
Painting
' Bunk Johnson '
Retro Jazz Painting
Kory's work has a distinctive sort of retro style that has become a bit of a signature. His work is an amalgam of historic images and bright, high contrast color palettes. In fact, these color combinations are so stylized that they look like they came straight out of a Wes Anderson film or an episode of Mad Men. This vintage essence is balanced by a minimal composition that presents a perspective that feels both nostalgic and of the moment.
' Freedom Riders '
Painting
The 'Freedom Riders' is a new work that is an incredible example of this union of history and modernity that often intermingles in Kory's work. This painting portrays the plight of the civil rights activists of the sixties through the lens of the Kory Russell aesthetic. Kory is somehow able to lift an image straight out of a history book and amplify it so that it not only is reflective of our national past, but also our present.
Kory's retro aesthetic sensibility also lends itself to highly stylized works like the ones on display at Syrup & Eggs. These pieces were created specifically for the incredibly curated interiors that live within the former Dwell Hotel. These images reflect a solo subject within a dynamic high contrast composition.
There is something about these works that are reminiscent of Kory's images in black and white. Perhaps it is something about the spacious approach to composition or maybe it is something a little more nuanced... whatever the case, I feel I will always be able to spot a Kory Russell work of art no matter the color.
Don't miss out on a chance to see Kory and his work...
He is one of the featured Emerging Artists of the 2021 4 Bridges Art Festival, going on April 16 - 18th.
To find out festival details,
check out avarts.org
To keep up with Kory,
check out instagram.com/koryrussell_art or koryrussellart.com
Be sure to listen in on this episode of Chatt Art... It is a fun one!
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