“Down With Everything” Graphite Drawing by James Spencer Russell

A graphite drawing titled Down with Everything by American artist James Spencer Russell (1915-2000). Signed to the lower right corner, this work features the words “DOWN WITH EVERYTHING” stacked vertically on top of each other. The bottom section with “EVERYTHING” has the appearance of being typed, while the top section of the drawing has a handwritten style. The drawing is displayed in a black frame with a white mat.

Born in Monticello, Indiana, Russell was interested in art from a young age but was directed into pursuing a military career by his family. As a young person, he attended a military academy, became a celebrated codebreaker during WWII, and even received a scholarship to attend West Point. However, Russell’s interest in art eventually led him to abandon his military pursuits and try to make it in the art world instead. After working as an NBC set designer after WWII, he turned his attention to becoming a full-time artist. During the 1960s, he started exhibiting his works alongside artists who would later come to characterize the art scene at the time, including Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichenstein. He later moved back to Indiana where he continued to create art until his death in 2000.