Cozette Russell on Disability, Care, and Black-and-White Photography

In a discussion with Douglas Breault on Lenscratch, New Hampshire artist Cozette Russell, born in 1978, elaborates on her autobiographical artistic approach. Her creations, which include black-and-white photography, sculpture, and performance, delve into themes of disability, care, feminism, and motherhood. Russell employs techniques such as cutting, layering, and painting on prints, along with rephotographing and braille text to enhance accessibility. Currently, she is working on a series that reimagines her son's ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) braces as sculptures and photographs. She references media artist Alexandra Juhasz regarding the emphasis on process in feminist art. Russell advocates for inclusive art spaces, drawing on a Harvard study about implicit bias and promoting sensory-friendly events, inspired by her experiences at a local cinema and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Influenced by artist-writers like Joseph Cornell and Yvonne Rainer, her work has been exhibited at venues including SMOMA, the Wexner Center for the Arts, and A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn, where she is a member.