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.
"Mills will travel with his collaborator Mike Fearon, to Los Angeles to undertake the painting of a large mixed media canvas towards the Cargo In The Blood: The Reverse Is Also True limited edition multiple. Once completed the canvas will be cut into 2500-3000 individual works, which will be framed in steel to become part of the limited edition multiple. In addition to several other items, Cargo In The Blood: The Reverse Is Also True will also contain a hardback five colour 320-page book showing all the works made towards use in the Hesitation Marks release, with interpretative texts charting the ideas behind each work. Each will be encased in a folding and individually cauterised suede portfolio. Edition number and publication date tbc."[2]