New York native Michael J. Russo has shown his artwork in some of the best galleries in NYC and no one there could ever find a label for his work. When you see his amazing pieces, you will see why. The artist’s work is very whimsical and each piece is made from found objects. And don’t call those objects “trash” – they are all materials used to create his unique art pieces.
New York native Michael J. Russo has shown his artwork in some of the best galleries in NYC and no one there could ever find a label for his work. When you see his amazing pieces, you will see why. The artist’s work is very whimsical and each piece is made from found objects. And don’t call those objects “trash” – they are all materials used to create his unique art pieces.
“I find that word derogatory,” Russo said. “There’s value in everything you come into contact with on the planet.”
In recent years, the artist’s work has been classified as “Green Art”. Anything categorized as “green” is trendy nowadays, but Russo has been doing it for around 30 years.
Art has always been important to Russo. As a child in central New York State, he remembers he took a pasta box and created a toy car out of it. He was influenced by his elementary school art teacher, who was also his neighbor. He would spend hours drawing tigers and all kinds of wild animals.
He continued doing art in his spare time and went to college for Liberal Arts , but with a strong interest in pre-med. He didn’t have focus for it though, he said, and moved to New York City to study Commercial Art.
“I got bored,” he said. “It was too technical.”
He then fell into the business of cutting hair. He was successful and worked at Paul Mitchell.
“I became quite famous in New York for doing hair,” he said.
At the same time, he became interested in making furniture and the more he became interested in that, the less hours he spent at Paul Mitchell.
Creating his own furniture became a passion for Russo and also a necessity.
“I could never go furniture shopping,” he said. “I would drive my friends crazy because nothing excited me.”
He began making his own furniture and started using the scraps to make pieces of sculpture.
“It led me into more art,” he said.
He started creating pieces and liked the freedom that being an artist gave him.
“I like the idea of having no rules,” he said.
His love for creating furniture and sculpture eventually turned into a love for redoing houses and he became an expert in landscaping. He designed and sold two amazing homes- one in New York and one in the Keys.
“Every place I’ve lived has been a showcase for my work,” he explained. “I want to be excited by my surroundings.”
Russo lived in Miami Beach for a while and had a business called “Studio Russo Art & Design”. He then had a business called “Michael J. Russo & Associates” in the Miami Design District. His entire inventory was bought by an art dealer and he then redesigned his Miami Beach home into his showcase. He sold the property and moved to Wilton Manors when he bought his current home in 2005, which he moved into in 2006.
When he purchased his Wilton Manors home his goal was to make it another fantastic work of art. What started out as a nice-sized home with two palm trees, is now a fantastical property full of lush, exotic greenery, walking paths over beautiful ponds, a pool with sculptures and functional art all around (including a tailpipe sprouting from the side of the house that shoots water into the pool). The creativeness doesn’t just stop there- the interior features colorful furniture built by the talented artist, rooms full of his pieces, a workspace and a gallery. Even his bathrooms are showcases for his work.
Russo designed the home in a way where you can really appreciate it from any angle.
“You can see the full length and breadth of it from any point in the home,” he explained.
He lived in the home during 90-percent of the renovations.
“I supervised the whole thing,” he said. “It’s a presentation of my entire life’s work.”
Through his years in Wilton Manors, he has continued working on his craft. He continued doing pieces out of old shoes and other found objects. His art can be appreciated in many layers- at first you are pulled in by all of the colors and the design, then the work’s message and then you find yourself trying to see what he used to create his pieces.
His talent has not gone unnoticed in Wilton Manors. He had an exhibit at ArtsUnited last year and while he was there, he met Gay American Heroes Foundation (GAHF) founder Scott Hall. The two began talking and Hall made an impact on Russo.
“I noticed that he’s a very passionate person,” Russo said.
Russo wanted to do something for the nonprofit organization and offered to open his house for a fundraiser for GAHF. Hotspots Magazine will be sponsoring one within the next few months at Russo’s house which will be open to the public that evening and really is a spectacular sight to behold.
In addition, his collection “A Show of Heads” is now on exhibit at Dennis Dean Galleries on Wilton Drive, above New Moon, across from Rosie’s.
For more information on Michael Russo, you can visit his website at http://mrussogreenart.com
