Russell Young

(Magnificent Seven)

F.AM.E. NYC Magazine: A History of Violence

Before the art world beckoned, Russell past incarnations included celebrity photography and directing music videos. A History of Violence examines the connection this country has to violence through iconic imagery and eye popping color. I’m sure Russell’s background in photography aided in his selections of photos, which were stunning and told individual stories that help to contribute to the entire visual narrative.

Hollywood has always had a fascination with the Wild West; in fact movies depicting boisterous stories from that time help to save Hollywood and television. Shows like Wagon Training, The Rifleman and Maverick taught generations of kids about the rough frontier existence, morality and how violence is sometimes a necessary part of living. No movie sums these lessons up better than The Magnificent Seven. The movie was just as majestic as the soundtrack. To see Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and company astride their steeds, ready to save the day, all in pink plays with the ideas of masculinity, vigilantism and heroism. 

(Brando On Bike)

What makes bad boys so appealing? It is a question that has perplexed parents and their daughters since the beginning of time. Russell chose one of the ultimate bad boys to make his statement about the allure of a man who lives outside of the law, makes his own rules and still has a heart –Marlon Brando in The Wild One. Painted boldly in red, Brando in his biker gear and looking defiant as ever in dark shades shows exactly why the bad boy is so tantalizing – there is nothing more intoxicating than the idea of a man being able to protect a woman from peril and no one messes with a bad boy.

(Marilyn Crying)

Beauty, at times can be tragic, like a moon plant that dies in the face of dawn. The photo of Marilyn Monroe trying to shield her face as she suffers is the epitome of tragic, fragile beauty. This photo shows that sometimes the violence can come from within and is inflicted on ourselves.

The Dali Lama stated, “It is my belief that whereas the twentieth century has been a century of war and untold suffering, the twenty-first century should be one of peace and dialogue. As the continued advances in information technology make our world a truly global village, I believe there will come a time when war and armed conflict will be considered an outdated method of settling differences among nations.”