Art Crumb…the Human Narrative
The surreal atmosphere and light of the Mexican city San Miguel de Allende is what sparked photographer Russell Monk’s love of the country and where his inspiration was born from its local people. After visiting the area to do a book and documentary on the Day of the Dead Festival, his attraction to the beautiful country drew him in, causing him to move permanently back later. Featured in the New York Times, his work focuses on the individual and the hidden stories of their personal lives. Using his neighbors and local friends as subjects, Russell poses them with hand-chosen props that display something about the individual’s trade, craft, or life. Using a painted wall in his own back yard as a backdrop, his black and white photos have an elusive truthfulness, as if revealing a delicate secret. Though perhaps considered old-fashioned by some, the intimate nature of his portraits reveal an emotional connection between the artist and his subject; a wonderful relation to view amidst the commercial work of today’s society.
