John Russell’s three works show scenes of people, animals, and hybrids who appear to marooned in a featureless landscape. They are lit by lurid colours that could be the conditions of a nightclub or the conditions of a world where the skies have become electrified with chemical pollution. In each scene, relationships look like they’re beginning to take shape or fall apart: some are on their knees gesturing to others, but it’s unclear whether they are appealing for help or holding their arms up in defence. In one image, an assembly of mixed characters dance around a large seahorse, which seems to be attached to them umbilically. These scenes could be the dawning of a fledging new society or the toxic dregs of an old one. Either way, these are scenes of intensity and imminence; the titles of these works suggesting positions of violent and banal administration.

Diagonal Slaughter Optimisation, 2015
Backlit digital print on vinyl

Parallel Domination Facility, 2015
Backlit digital print on vinyl

Adjacent Bureaucracy Enhancement, 2015
Backlit digital print on vinyl