Russell Baldwin

Russell Baldwin, a native of San Diego, grew up in Point Loma and lived in Ramona during the latter years of his life.

Mr. Baldwin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at San Diego State College during the late 1950s with instructors Everett Gee Jackson, Jean Swiggett, John Dirks, Martha Longenecker and Ilse Ruocco. According to Dave Hampton, “…he explored many forms of expression; painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics and various constructed art forms and was a member of the San Diego Art Guild, the Allied Craftsmen and the Contemporary Arts Committee of the Fine Arts Society.”

Exhibiting his work as early as 1960 at the Southwestern College Gallery and at San Diego State College (in 1963), Baldwin launched his first one-man exhibitions in La Jolla at the Jefferson Gallery in 1964 and the La Jolla Museum of Art in 1965.

Hampton notes, that “…Mr. Baldwin’s master's thesis [his Masters was also from San Diego State College] on sand-casting for sculpture during this period, but quickly moved on to hard-edge constructions and polychrome mixed-media works that were exhibited in La Jolla and in his 1966 one-man exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in 1966. He was one of San Diego's earliest pioneers of conceptual art, working alongside fellow artist-teachers Bob Matheny and John Baldessari, who taught at Southwestern College, while Baldwin was at Palomar College.”

Between 1962-1986, Baldwin taught art at the University level, much of it at Palomar College where he was also the Boehm Gallery Director (1965-1986). Several things competed with his ability to work full-time as an artist, from full-time teaching, the death of his son from leukemia, to a passion for restoring formula cars and racing them. As Gallery Director, Baldwin oversaw exhibitions of widely recognized artists Sam Francis, John Baldessari, Judy Chicago, William Wiley and Wayne Thiebaud, among many others.

Of Russell’s work, Robert L. Pincus wrote, “In the '60s and '70s, his work garnered a good deal of recognition for his immaculately made works that mingled words and image, text and object.”

His later work, “…Infused with irony and wit, these intellectually complex and multilayered works comment on issues like racism, crime, politics, corporations, globalization, corruption, and the human condition. "Art is all over," Baldwin's trademark phrase, reveals the artist's delight in the nuances of language and double-entendre, as well as expressing other themes that interest him, such as the rigors of the creative process and the relevance of art,” according to Mark-Elliott Lugo.

Artist John Baldessari recalled at Baldwin’s passing, “There weren't many artists who I found to be as interesting as Russell in San Diego. He was so valuable to me. I've lost a dear friend.” Richard Allen Morris offered that Baldwin had, “a reluctance to promote himself, and so he was ignored a lot, except by other artists. Seeing the few shows he had, I appreciated him tremendously.”

Select List of Early Solo Exhibitions
Casat Gallery, La Jolla (1978)
Jewish Community Center, San Diego (1975)
Southwestern College Art Gallery (1973)
Jefferson Gallery, La Jolla (1965)
Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa (1965)
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara (1964)
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla (1964)
Jefferson Gallery, La Jolla (1964)
San Diego State College (1963)
Southwestern College Gallery (1960)

Selected Major Collections
Ahmanson Foundation, Los Angeles
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC
International Paper Company Corporate Art Collection, NY
Kelly Foundation, Los Angeles
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla
Newport Harbor Art Museum, Newport Beach
Orange County Museum of Art
San Diego State College
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Southwestern College, Chula Vista