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In art school, Mills began creating artwork inspired by lyrics from Brian Eno songs, which were later used in the book ''More Dark Than Shark''. Starting in the 1980s, he was receiving commissions to create artwork for album and book covers. His style began to evolve from traditional drawing and painting into a more abstract collage-oriented style, with many organic elements and items from nature being used as materials. His paintings are sometimes seen as visually mirroring the sometimes ambient sounds of some of the albums he designs covers for.
He has done many exhibitions over the years, created multimedia installations and also designed sets and lighting for performers such as London Contemporary Dance Theatre, Wire and Terry Riley. He has also made two albums of semi-ambient music (''Pearl + Umbra'' and ''Strange Familiar'') under the name Undark, by creating sonic collages from unused sounds given to him by musicians he has connections with. Additionally, he has made ambient music to accompany his various installations, sometimes working with frequent collaborators Ian Walton and Mike Fearon. This catalog of installation music was released in a six-part series called ''Still Moves''.
==Artwork For NIN==
A limited edition art book/multiple containing Mills' art for ''Hesitation Marks'' was released in December 2015. It was priced at $300 and the following information was given on the site set up at cargointheblood.com:
<blockquote>"Nine Inch Nails and long-time collaborator and artist Russell Mills present ''Cargo In The Blood'', a deluxe, limited edition 320-page book collecting all of the works the artist created for Nine Inch Nails’ ''Hesitation Marks'' album. Each volume also includes an original mixed media painting created by Russell Mills specifically for the project. Available exclusively on NIN.com, ''Cargo In The Blood'' is limited to 2000 copies and will be available to order 12/16/15 10am PT."
INCLUDES
In an interview with ''Vice'' Magazine[https://www.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/pgq8bg/nine-inch-nails-cargo-in-the-blood-interview], Mills explained the relationship between [[Trent Reznor]]'s and his second-hand experience with addiction and how that informed the art for ''Hesitation Marks''/''Cargo In The Blood'':
<blockquote>Vice: '''How did your (and Trent Reznor’s) proximity to addiction influence ''Cargo In The Blood''?'''<br>Mills: "Greatly. The title gives it away. The works are generally about the conjoined themes of chaos and order, and control and surrender, relating to and reflecting on the traumas that both Trent and I have experienced in our lives, traumas that will inevitably continue to shape our lives.
Trent had battled with alcohol and drugs at first hand, had damaged himself and caused great distress to those around him; that’s the nature and pattern of an addiction. I’d lived with a chronic alcoholic wife for over four years, which meant being a psychological (and occasionally a physical) punching bag. While trying to be a carer I was also trying to protect my son—who was just eight when this vortex of pain and disruption exploded - from her worst excesses.
As we discussed the ''Hesitation Marks'' project, we talked a great deal about our respective traumatic “black” years, and discovered disturbing similarities in numerous aspects of our experiences, both during and post-crises, that came into alignment. We had both reached a point at which we had understood the whys and wherefores of addiction and the appalling fallout that follows. We had both come to accept certain truths, some unpalatable, and while we were both still angry and confused, we had found coping mechanisms that were allowing us to function with renewed focus and purpose. We were both attempting to harness the energy of the massed conjoined complicated emotions were still churning in us both.
''Hesitation Marks'' was a cathartic route out of that mire for both of us. For me, the call from Trent to say that the project was proceeding, that a new NIN album was going to happen, was the green light that I needed to really let all this emotion out. The project gave me a license to explore all the ideas about chaos and order and control and surrender that had been buzzing in my head for years. The result is the ''Cargo In The Blood'' collection, a project of reclamation and regeneration."</blockquote>
==External Links==
*[http://www.russellmills.com/ Official Russell Mills site]
*[http://www.permanencerussellmills.decom/millscatart-1990s/ Artwork created for NIN in the 1990s]*[http://www.russellmills.com/art-2013/ Artwork created for ''Hesitation Marks'']*[http:/nin/indexnineinchnails.tumblr.html Unused com/post/52247958645 Mills on the artwork created for ''ClosureHesitation Marks'']*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dByyY8jIJFs Short film about ''Cargo In The Blood'']
*[http://nineinchnails.tumblr.com/post/57725944980/unused-nin-logo-art-created-by-russell-mills-for Unused NIN logo artwork created for ''The Downward Spiral'']
*[httphttps://nineinchnailsslowfusesound.tumblrbandcamp.com/post/52247958645 music Russell Mills & Mike Fearon on the artwork for ''Hesitation Marks'']*[http://cargointheblood.com Promotional site for ''Cargo In The Blood''Bandcamp]
[[Category:Related to NIN]]