Author: RJ Rushmore

RJ Rushmore has been involved in contemporary art as a writer, curator, photographer, arts administrator, and fan since 2008. With a focus on street art, graffiti, and public art, RJ facilitates and promotes catalytic and ambitious art outdoors, in galleries, and online. He founded the street art blog Vandalog and has worked at The L.I.S.A. Project NYC, Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Creative Time. Currently, RJ is Co-Curator of Art in Ad Places.
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Thank you Atlanta/Living Walls

Drew Tyndell, Ben Niznik and Derek Bruno

Over the last week or so, there have been a lot fewer posts on Vandalog than usual. Two reasons for that: This week I’ve been spending time with my family and relaxing, but last week it was because I was in Atlanta for the second annual Living Walls Conference. It was a crazy few days, resulting in some beautiful new murals for Atlanta (like these from Gaia, Nanook and Escif). I’ll be posting more of those murals over the next few days.

For now, I’d like to focus on a massive thank you to all of the volunteers, organizers, artists, speakers and sponsors at Living Walls. In particular, all the volunteers who spent their own money on gas to practically act as personal drivers to all of us without a means of transportation. And while there’s a long list of sponsors, here’s a little shout out to those that I had the pleasure of connecting with: Sam Flax South, Eyedrum, Dodekapus, Atlanta Beltline, Streetela, The Goat Farm, MOCAGA and The Sound Table. The artists and speakers at Living Walls are some of the most talented around, but they are also some of the most fun. So thank you to everyone involved in Living Walls on any level for all the hard work. It was an honor to be invited to speak, and I hope to return again next year.

Evereman projecting onto Jaz at The Sound Table

Photos by Drew Tyndell and Evereman

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Emory Douglas at The Outsiders in London

Emory Douglas, aka the former ‘Minister for Culture’ for the Black Panthers and a major influence on artists like Shepard Fairey, has a show opening this week at The Outsiders, Lazarides’ Greek Street space in London. I’m a huge fan of Emory Douglas’ work, and I think he has been massively underrated, in large part because a lot of his original work was destroyed, but also because it was so controversial. Decades late, he is finally getting the recognition he deserves. Douglas is the master of revolutionary and political artwork. This show runs from August 18th through September 10th. I highly recommend that anyone with an interest in the intersection of art and politics check it out. Douglas’ work is political art that actually means something and changed things, compared to a lot of today’s “political” street art.

Images courtesy of The Outsiders

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Weekend link-o-rama

"A Study In Fecundity" by Elbowtoe

I’m baking alive here in Atlanta for Living Walls, but damn things are coming along nicely. Nanook and Gaia have finished a couple of walls, including this one. But Living Walls is a busy event, so I’ve been missing out on a lot this week, including some big news from Banksy. Check all that out here…

Photo by Elbowtoe

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Shepard Fairey in Oslo

Shepard Fairey was just in Oslo working on a mural for the T&J Art Walk event that Faile were working on last week. This wall is in tribute to the victims of the terrorism in Oslo on July 22nd. If you’re in Oslo this month, be sure to check out the rest of the walls being painted for the art walk, as well as the indoor exhibition benefiting Human Rights Watch. All that info on the T&J Art Walk website. Here’s a video of Shepard working on the wall and some photos:

Shepard Fairey OSLO 2011 from T&J Art Walk on Vimeo.

Photos courtesy of T&J Art Walk

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Lazarides back at The Old Vic Tunnels for The Minotaur

Conor Harrington at Hell's Half Acre

Lazarides are headed back to The Old Vic Tunnels off of Leake Street in London, the site of last year’s Hell’s Half Acre show and Banksy’s launch for Exit Through the Gift Shop. If you thought Hell’s Half Acre was a bit of a posh haunted house, you ain’t seen nothing yet. From October 10th through November 4th, Lazarides are turning the tunnels into an art exhibition space, but also a Michelin Star pop-up restaurant. The show is called The Minotaur, after the Greek legend. The absurdity of the whole thing leaves me speechless. As for the art, there will be a labyrinth-esque installation with new work from a number of artists including Conor Harrington, Stanley Donwood, 3D and Lucy McLauchlan. Unfortunately, it will cost £5 to get in if you aren’t under 18. Entry is free to some, but by some I mean it’s free if you’re eating at the restaurant for £65 a head, haha. On the plus side, there’s a bar, so you’ll be able to drink away the pain of having spent £65 to eat in a dilapidated storage room.

I dunno. Maybe this will be fun and full of amazing artwork and food. It probably will be enjoyable for the select few who get to experience it, but The Minotaur still strikes me as absurd and way over-the-top. Kind of like a real minotaur.

Photo by IanVisits

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Joe Iurato

Art Whino, probably best known in the street art sphere for their annual group show in Miami each December, are hosting the latest solo show from stencil artist Joe Iurato at their DC gallery. Fall and Rise opens August 20th and runs through September 12th. The work for Fall and Rise will include some pieces in a new style for Joe where stencils are photographs are combine.