Bobbie Russon
‘This body of work explores the theme of loneliness. Being alone can be positive, a time for reflection and self-discovery; to be still and to notice the little things that might pass us by in the hubbub of life. Involuntary solitude may however cause isolation and alienation. Our thoughts can take us to dark places. We crave company and conversation, and the stillness and quiet of being alone can become deafening. We are, after all, inherently social beings.
From a young age I think we are acutely aware of the need for companionship. When that is missing we can be quite resourceful in seeking it out by other means. At bed time when a child finds themselves alone within the darkened space of their room they will often turn to something for comfort – a favourite bear, doll or other object that they hold dear. They can imbue the object (for even a child secretly knows that it is inanimate) with personality and character, offering solace amidst their perceived aloneness.
Convention tells us that as we grow older we no longer need this kind of reassurance, but of course as adults we don’t stop needing company and interaction. We may well find ourselves alone more frequently, often not through choice. So different tools help us through the feelings of isolation. Some turn to religion, for others it might be the company of radio and television or music and books. We might turn to nature as our quiet companion- plants that we nurture, birds that we feed and of course pets that we own.
This collection is a visual exploration of the feeling of being alone and our human need for social interaction, and our resourcefulness in inventing our own company when it cannot be found elsewhere.’
-Bobbie Russon May 2023
Bobbie Russon’s paintings speak to the quiet, contemplative and solitary place in all of us, usually featuring lone girls in a paradoxical moment of adolescence, caught between the needs of a child and the wants of an adult. More as a metaphor for humanity than a literal interpretation. The girls can seem both victim and perpetrator, vulnerable and strong. Russon’s work speaks to us on an emotional level, a whisper rather than a cry, it gives us time to stand still, time to reflect in what it means to be human.
Bobbie Russon was born in 1966, she studied at St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art. She currently works from her studio in London
Education
1988-90 Royal College of Art M.A.
1984-87 St Martins school of Art B.A.
1982-84 Bournville School of Art foundation
Selected Exhibitions
2022 ‘Cold Comfort’ Arusha Gallery, Old Silk Barn, Bruton
2021 Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries
2021 ‘Plus One’ solo show bo.lee gallery
2019. ‘Mother’ solo show bo.lee gallery
2018 Royal Academy Summer Show
2018 Solo show ‘Deluge’ bo.lee gallery
2018 ‘Scale’ exhibition at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, New York.
2018 National Open art Competition
2017 Context Art Fair, New York
2017 London Art Fair
2016 ‘Petrichor’ Soho with bo.lee gallery
2016 The Solo Series Part 1 solo show with bo.lee gallery
2016 ‘Hinterland’ solo show with bo.lee gallery
2016 London Art Fair
2015 ‘Hinterland’ solo show bo.lee gallery
2015 London Art Fair
2014 Edinburgh Art Fair Arusha Gallery
2014 ‘Minaire’ the Crate, Notting Hill
2014 Art 14, Olympia
2013 Reigning Cats and Dogs, RWA Bristol
2012 ‘Bound’ bo.lee gallery
2011 ‘Tea and Camphor’ solo show, bo.lee gallery
2011 Darkness to Light, Octagon Chapel, Bath
2011 Shadowside, Blackall Studios, Shoreditch
1996 Hunting Art Prizes RCA
1993 Mixed Young Contemporaries Roy Miles Gallery
1992 Young Contemporaries, Frost and Reed
1991 South Bank Picture Show, prizewinner
1987 Whitworth Young Contemporaries