Creativity knows no bounds. It is the fiber of innovation, helping us grow ideas, express ourselves and bring our dreams and visions to life. Many artists have utilized their gifts and harnessed the unlimited power of creativity to express themselves in ways that not only speak to them but also to millions of others, making their work known globally and their impact colossal. We had the honor of speaking with three incredible artists, all renowned names in their respective fields, to gain a deeper understanding of their drive and what sparks their creativity.
Hunt Slonem, Russell Young and Stephanie Pfriender Stylander are all visionaries who have significantly contributed to the broader conversation about art and expression in some way. Pfriender Stylander has significantly influenced the fashion conversation with her eye for storytelling through a camera lens. Young’s Technicolor silk-screen paintings capture the complexities of fame and frame his outlook on life. And Slonem’s playful works ignite imagination and whimsy in those who view his work.
Hunt Slonem
Hunt Slonem has established himself as a famed artist in the art world, with his work exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide. Most known for his playful depictions of bunnies and vibrant butterfly paintings, Slonem’s art is a refreshing reminder of the joy nature brings forth.
Born into a military family, Slonem was always on the move. One of his first memories of art comes from his grandfather, who would send him paintings and drawings. “I related to the art more than things like submarines and missiles,” he says. “I have never been conflicted [about my path]; it’s all I’ve wanted to do.”
His eye for creativity and his unique method of painting, which includes layering texture, bold color choices and thick brushstrokes, have resonated with millions, landing his art in countless galleries and museums across the globe, including Bonner David Galleries in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“I had no idea how artists survived in the beginning,” Slonem admits. “It’s really hard work. Alex Katz once said, ‘It’s about making the work 60 percent of the time and promoting it 40 percent of the time.’ You have to reach out and keep believing it’s going to happen.”
Repetition is not a deterrent for Slonem’s work; rather, it’s one of his defining qualities. “Repetition is one of the biggest things to describe my work,” he says. “I don’t think repetition is bad…I think it’s close to Godliness…God has created millions of leaves that create what we think of as a tree, every leaf is different, yet they’re all kind of one form.”
Art is ingrained in the artist’s identity; he paints every day. “I never want to stop doing it, I don’t feel normal if I don’t paint something,” Slonem explains. “I don’t think of it as a craft, I just think of it as who I am.”
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Stephanie Pfriender Stylander
When it comes to fashion, legendary photographer Stephanie Pfriender Stylander has an eye for it. The photographer’s keen ability to tell stories through editorial photoshoots has shaped the visual language of a generation. Known for her photo shoots with icons such as Kate Moss, Keith Richards, Nicole Kidman, and Joaquin Phoenix, Pfriender Stylander’s portfolio captures the rebellious, experimental culture of the 1990s and 2000s.
The photographer started her career in Europe, shooting editorial spreads for well-known fashion magazines. “They would give me 20 pages to work with,” she says. “I would have full control over the pictures. It was fantastic because I was really able to develop a look once I started working there.”
Driven by feeling, Pfriender Stylander selected models and locations that presented something unique. “I always look for strong character, that was the key to creating my picture. My style and my approach were narrative. The locations, actors and models, makeup, hair, fashion, technique, all fed into creating ambiguous tension,” Pfriender Stylander explains.
Powerful storytelling is the fuel that propelled Pfriender Stylander to success. Her ICONIC photoshoot with Kate Moss is a hallmark example of how her photography conveys more than just the clothes the model wears; it tells a more profound story. “Kate had this ability to look at the photographer in a certain way and convey something in her eyes, which you don’t see often.”
When Pfriender Stylander returned to the U.S., she began booking projects for commercial clients. With the creative experience she brought from her time in Europe, the photographer brought a fresh perspective to ICONIC fashion editorial. “People would say, ‘I feel like I’m seeing something I’ve never seen before!’ It’s incredible,” she remarks.
Pfriender Stylander’s monograph, The Untamed Eye, highlights her impressive portfolio of work. The book is designed to mirror the rhythm of film, offering readers the sense of stepping into a movie still, or a memory frozen in time. Pfriender Stylander’s signature use of natural light, grainy film and emotional realism seems to bring a human truth to high fashion, a rare fusion of beauty and authenticity that continues to inspire today’s leading photographers.
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Russell Young
Russell Young is relentless, pursuing his dreams with pinpoint determination. This relentlessness is not only a guiding principle of how Young lives his life—overcoming life’s most significant challenges, including death, but it is also reflected in his subject matter, highlighting the complexities that come with fame and fortune.
Born in Northern England, Young discovered his artistic side at an early age, drawing the forest landscape across the street from his grandparents’ house. “I sat on the floor making these marks and drawing what I called scary trees,” Young recalls. “I still have one of the drawings; it’s very abstract. That was the starting point for me.”
Young’s parents would take him to museums, continually exposing him to art and encouraging his interest in it. With continued support from his school art teachers, Young had a solid foundation. Fast forward 15 years, and the artist established a successful career as a music-industry photographer.
“I directed more than 100 music videos, shot sleeves for covers of magazines. I shot George Michael’s face sleeve, worked with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, everybody really, but I sort of fell out of love with the music industry.”
After a month of self-reflection in Tuscany, Young decided to focus on what made him truly happy: his art. Young’s silk-screen prints exploit his internal journey through vibrant colors layered over ICONIC photographs of American legends.
When Young caught the H1N1 virus, he was in a coma and on the brink of death; however, he prevailed. In his first series of paintings after surviving his illness, Young pressed canvases down into pools of red shellac, letting the resin drip, smear and splatter like wounds.
The artist’s ability to crop an image to tell a different story is profound, often showcasing details that may have been missed in the bigger picture. “The Marilyn crying image is the first one that comes up when you search my name on Google. She’s got her hand up to her eye; she’s very beautiful but also vulnerable. It’s a small section of a larger photograph. I think years of being a photographer allowed me to find that out of thousands of photographs,” Young says.
The beauty of Young’s work lies in the raw emotion of the piece, which is accentuated by the vibrant color overlay and diamond dust, creating something that doesn’t quietly whisper but makes a loud statement. Young’s work has been picked up by many galleries across the U.S., including Relévant Galleries in Scottsdale and Denver.
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