Michael Russo
The Conquest of American Painting: Art (and) History in New York’s Postmodern Moment
About Michael
I'm an art historian, focusing on modern and contemporary American painting.
Working in the vein of social art history, I like my research to contextualise art in the material conditions of the society that made it. My hope is for my research to better inform people about art that we see in the world around us.
Project description
My project explores American painting in the late 1970s, with a particular focus on transatlantic exchange.
Each chapter centres on a different artist, examining how their work sheds light on the ways the New York art world engaged with European artistic traditions during this period.
The late 1970s were a formative moment in the development of the global art market as we know it today, making it an important period through which to understand broader cultural and economic shifts.
At a time when the Western world is facing some of its greatest challenges since the Second World War, it also seems especially relevant to reflect on the enduring influence of European culture on the United States.
My research interests focus on the end of modernism and the emergence of contemporary art in the late twentieth century.
Working within the framework of social art history, I'm interested in the relationship between art and the wider world, whether through economic structures, political change, or popular culture.
I'm also drawn to the global dimensions of art and the ways in which processes of globalisation have shaped visual culture.
Although painting is my main area of interest, I'm equally fascinated by new media practices, including installation, performance, and film.
Personal interests
Outside of my research, I enjoy visiting museums and discovering new exhibitions and collections.
I enjoy learning about different kinds of music and exploring artists from a range of periods and traditions.
I also enjoy birdwatching, which gives me an opportunity to spend time outdoors and appreciate the natural world.
Presentations
March 2025
- “American Heritage Abstracted: Cy Twombly’s Fifty Days at Iliam and the Spectre of History in the 1970s”
26th Annual Conference of the Scottish Association for the Study of America. - “Fifty Days at Iliam: Cy Twombly’s Appropriation of History in the 1970s”
2026 Annual Conference hosted by the Association for Art History.
Teaching
Associate Lecturer
Achievements
In the spring of 2026, I held a position of Scholar-in-Residence at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to visit the Robert Gore Rifkind Collection of German Expressionist art.
Education
- PG Certificate in Research Training, Newcastle University
- MA in Art History, Tulane University
- BA in Art History, Tulane University
- BSM in Finance, Tulane University