The Alchemy of Process: Adde Russell’s Unwavering Devotion to Painting
There is an inescapable gravity to the work of Adde Russell. Her paintings are not merely visual objects but living, breathing entities—pulsing with the weight of history, the urgency of the present, and the anticipation of what art can become. With “No Mind For The Wicked,” Russell dismantles and reconstructs the very foundation of artistic tradition, wielding her brush like a scalpel to expose the anatomy of creation itself.
When I first experienced the work of Adde Russell, I was paralyzed in bliss. I couldn’t move and didn’t want to. To see a painting of Adde’s is to witness a single moment and extrapolate every detail—from how it works to how it fits together to all the ways it might be perceived by others—all in a single instance. It’s a gorgeous madness I could live through time and time again. Just look for the masking tape that seemingly holds it all together… even it is painted too.
Dissecting “No Mind For The Wicked”
The composition of this piece is a masterclass in controlled disruption. Two iterations of the same classical motif—a noblewoman and attendants—sit side by side. The leftmost image, rendered in a soft blue grisaille, feels like a memory or a blueprint of something once whole. The right side, fully colored and lush with painterly depth, is abruptly fractured by a striking black abstraction and the illusion of masking tape running down the center.
The use of masking tape, both literal and painted, is a signature element in Russell’s work. It serves as both a technical trick and a conceptual statement—what is real and what is illusion? What is finished and what is in progress? The answer is always in flux. The brilliance of Russell’s approach lies in her refusal to give the viewer a definitive resolution. Instead, she invites us into a conversation between past and present, between the act of painting and the philosophy behind it.
A Love Affair With The Process
Russell’s paintings exude a love for the craft itself. She does not chase after trends or seek to create easily digestible art. Instead, she revels in the alchemy of making—layering, erasing, interrupting, and reworking. There is a raw honesty in her work, a reminder that painting is not about perfection but about the pursuit of something deeper, something true.
Russell has exhibited extensively, including at The Commerce Gallery, where her work continues to push boundaries. Her paintings reflect a keen understanding of art history, yet they are wholly contemporary in their execution. She is a painter’s painter—someone who understands the sheer ecstasy of mark-making, of letting a painting unfold in its own time rather than forcing it into a predetermined box.
The Subtle Rebellion of Adde Russell
At a time when much of the art world is dictated by commercial viability and instant digital gratification, Russell’s work feels rebellious in its purity. She does not cater to an algorithm or bow to the pressures of mass appeal. Instead, her paintings demand patience, introspection, and engagement.
In “No Mind For The Wicked,” this defiance is evident in every brushstroke. The black void that cuts across the figures is not just an aesthetic choice; it is a challenge. It asks us to consider what is being obscured and why. It refuses to let us consume the image passively.
This is what makes Adde Russell’s work exceptional. She does not simply paint—she excavates, reconstructs, and reimagines. She serves a kind of excellence that is dripping from the catalyst of what makes artists fall in love with the process of their work. Her paintings are not just objects but experiences, reminders of why we return to art in the first place.
In the end, “No Mind For The Wicked” is not just a painting—it is a manifesto. It is a declaration that painting is still alive, still urgent, still capable of shaking us to our core. And in the hands of Adde Russell, it always will be.
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