Russell Mills
Russell Mills (born 1952) is a British painter, designer and ambient musician who created paintings that were used for several Nine Inch Nails releases. Other bands and artists he has worked for include Brian Eno, Cocteau Twins and David Sylvian.
Contents
Biography
In art school, Mills began creating artwork inspired by lyrics from Brian Eno songs, which were later used in the book More Dark Than Shark. Starting in the 1980s, he was receiving commissions to create artwork for album and book covers. His style began to evolve from traditional drawing and painting into a more abstract collage-oriented style, with many organic elements and items from nature being used as materials. His paintings are sometimes seen as visually mirroring the sometimes ambient sounds of some of the albums he designs covers for.
He has done many exhibitions over the years, created multimedia installations and also designed sets and lighting for performers such as London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Wire and Terry Riley. He has also made two albums of semi-ambient music under the name Undark, by creating sonic collages from unused sounds given to him by musicians he has connections with. Additionally, he has made ambient music to accompany his various installations, sometimes working with frequent visual and sonic collaborator Ian Walton.
Artwork For NIN
- March Of The Pigs (1994)
- The Downward Spiral (1994)
- Further Down The Spiral (1995)
- Closure (1997)
- Came Back Haunted (2013)
- Hesitation Marks (2013)
- Copy Of A (2013)
- Everything (2013)
- Live 2013 EP (2013)
- Remix 2014 EP (2014)
The cover art for Closer To God is frequently misattributed to Mills. It was actually done by photographer Joseph Cultice, though he is uncredited on the packaging.[1]
Cargo In The Blood: The Reverse Is Also True
A limited edition multiple/art book containing Mills' art for Hesitation Marks is planned for eventual release.
"The limited edition multiple focusing on the art works made for Nine Inch Nails’ Hesitation Marks album is currently in production. The multiple, which will be produced in a limited edition will include a five colour 320 page fully illustrated hardback book showing all the works made for the commission with interpretative texts and essays charting the ideas behind and processes used in each work. Each will also contain an original mixed media work framed in Corten steel and a uniquely coded etched Corten Steel plate. Every copy will be encased in a folding and individually cauterised suede portfolio. Edition number, price and publication date tbc"[2]