Russ Noto's bulls are symbols of nature mediated by man. In this piece, he furthers the metaphor by inserting hand prints physically onto the animal. Russ sees these huge animals as part of industries we created, whether wrapped in cellophane in our grocery stores or entertaining us in an arena. Russ's bulls are enclosed in bleak, manmade spaces and carry human emotions. Beyond this bull, we can sense a conflicted and complex psyche, simultaneously resigned and proud.
Russ grew up in a small town outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and now lives in Savannah, Georgia, where he is working towards his MFA at the Savannah College of Art and Design. He has shown his work in various cities in Pennsylvania, and painted two murals in the Parking Authority Lobby in Scranton.
The original "Abject Study 1" is a 24"x18" charcoal drawing on paper.
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