Name/Title
Howard Russo - "Twist"Entry/Object ID
2026.0.1Description
"Twist" is a sphere measuring 63 inches in diameter, fabricated from steel. Square-profile steel rods are cut, bent, and welded into place. Its exterior is left untreated to encourage the formation of rust, creating a changing surface finish over time. His imagery is driven by the spherical form and its repetition occurring in nature. A balance between positive and negative space is key to his sculptures, giving them a sense of volume without mass and leaving room for
interpretation and imagination.
During the 1980s, while in college, Russo became interested in the issue of nuclear disarmament and began to consider the afterlife of decommissioned missiles. This led to an ongoing exploration of rocket forms, which have appeared throughout his work across a range of media, including jewelry, clay, wood, and large-scale sculpture. Combined with his continued interest in spherical forms, these elements often evolve into forms that suggest spacecraft or UFO-like objects. His glass and steel
series combines fused and slumped glass with found
weathered tools.
A resident of St. Charles, Illinois, Russo was a professor at Elgin Community College for over thirty years, where he taught advanced ceramics, glass, jewelry, sculpture, and 3-D design. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Northern Illinois University. His practice spans multiple media, including jewelry-making, ceramics, glass, and steel sculpture, as well as public art.
His work has been exhibited at venues such as the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art and in public spaces across the mid west.Type of Sculpture
AbstractCollection
Public Loan Sculpture Program (CECA + Tennessee Arts Commission)Made/Created
Date made
2016Time Period
21st Century