Study for Swerve

Bruce Russell studied graphic design and typography at the prestigious Chelsea School of Art, a training that still finds its way – even if indirectly – in his work. All forms of signalisation seem to be a potential source of inspiration for Russell: Maps, diagrams, charts (with their legends and keys); glyphs, morphs, tropes; cinematic language – wipes, fades, dissolves, jump cuts, insertions, signs, symbols and serifs of all kinds. In Study for swerve, thought the semiotic is quite straightforward, the visual narrative is undeniable efficient, the titled swerve guiding the gaze from the upper left corner to the lower right, driving one’s eyes across the abstract landscape. If one takes the time to focus more intently on the backdrop, one realises how necessary this visual path is in the confusing superimposition of planes, grids and mountain outlines.