The Art of Russell Pierce

So I was always interested in art, constantly drawing. In high school I was asked to create posters and program covers for the school plays but it took a while for it to dawn on me there could be a career in that. I remember my mom getting a little worried about my career direction now that I was in my final year in high school. On one vacation I took a trip into Manhattan to visit my uncle’s brother, Ed. He had a small office on Madison Avenue with a drafting table and tons of cool art supplies. I was immediately attracted to all the goodies and asked him what he did. He explained he was a graphic designer designing ads, posters, logos etc. and a light bulb went off in my head. Boom, I had found my career path. My mom was thrilled.

 

As a result of this new found passion, I started going to the library to research the profession and the work itself. That’s when I came across the work of Milton Glaser and his Push Pin Studios. The work used illustration a lot but also was simple, graphic and iconic at times. Like Milton’s logo for I Love NY, and his Bob Dylan poster with the graphic flowing multi-colored hair. He was my strongest influence and I’m still inspired by his work today. He’s still going strong at 87 years old.