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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Kurator at PS1

This project from Kurator might still be on view at P.S.1 in New York. Here’s what he has to say about it:

I just finished installing an unsolicited show at PS1 and wanted to get the word out before it gets taken down. I have created and installed a series of “gallery plaques” for various details in the PS1 building which are not official works of art but can easily be interpreted as such.

Here’s what the plaque says about this one: Untitled by Not Jackson Pollock. Paint on concrete. Although this piece could easily be mistaken for the work of the great American painter Jackson Pollock it is clearly not by him, because if it were it would be hanging on the wall of a major museum or the house of someone with far more money than you. However do not let this stop you from admiring its beautiful composition and masterful execution.

Photos by Kurator

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Pop-up OBEY store

Shepard Fairey is going to NYC soon, and he’s making sure you take notice. Of course, the main event will be his May Day solo show and he’s also looking for legal spots to poster, but now OBEY Clothing has announced that they will have a pop-up shop in NYC just a few minutes walk away from the Bowery and Houston Street wall where he will (presumably) be making a huge mural.

Via OBEY Giant

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More about Escif

Forgot to post this video in yesterday’s post about Escif and his upcoming solo show at Pictures on Walls. You may recognize it for its inclusion in Exit Through The Gift Shop. As I understand it, he set up the video camera and painted in that particular spot in an effort to get arrested on tape. And he succeeded (if you can call getting arrested success).

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Every time…

Banksy once said “‘Every time one of my friends borrows my ideas, mounts a huge art show and becomes a millionaire celebrity,’ a little bit of me wants him dead.” I’ll amend that to “Every time a street artist turns their back on their values, mounts a huge flyposting campaign and becomes what is essentially an advertising executive, a little bit of me wants to write over their work.”

But I suppose that’s the natural order of things.

Photo by Jake Dobkin

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Preview of BRP’s “Now’s the Time”

Black Rat Press have just sent me a few images as a preview to their upcoming group show Now’s The Time. The line-up is pretty sick. Black Rat have really found some fantastic paintings from some of the world’s top street artists (past and present) including Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Barry McGee, Keith Haring, Swoon, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Os Gêmeos. The show opens Thursday April 22nd, and I expect the gallery is going to be packed. Here’s what I can reveal so far:

Shepard Fairey

That’s got to be the best Angela Davis (edit: okay apparently this isn’t of Angela Davis, but it still looks amazing) I’ve seen from Shepard Fairey.

Swoon

Swoon keeps getting better and better and better. Definitely my favorite living artist.

Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat

While it’s only a drawing, how often do you get a see a Basquiat in person? This is something special for sure.

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Another new Banksy in LA

As predicted yesterday, Banksy wasn’t going to stop at painting one spot in LA. Here’s what appears to be LA Banksy #2. I wasn’t blown away by yesterday’s stencil, but I love this. It’s another one of Banksy’s artworks about kids playing despite interference from the adult world, a series he’s been working on for years (perhaps most notably with his recent No Ball Games print and street piece in London).

Photos by Sonja Teri (posterchildprints.com)

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Escif solo show at Pictures on Walls

Two weeks ago I saw a painting by Banksy and jumped up and down with excitement. I think that I may once again jump up and down with excitement this Friday at the opening of Escif‘s first London solo show. Pictures on Walls is putting on Escif’s show, so you know it’s going to be something special. Last month, Elisa Carmichael wrote that this show would include a hundreds of small drawings. I’ve also heard a rumor that it will be more “conceptual” than people might expect from an artist mostly known for his painting and drawing skills.

Basically: Don’t miss this show. Last week was all about Roa, this week is all about Escif. But keep in mind, Friday is the opening night. Not London’s traditional Thursday. So don’t show up on Thursday. That won’t be as much fun as Friday.

Anyway, Escif has come Spain to London to work on the show as well as paint a few outdoor spots in the city. Here’s a mural that he painted over the weekend at Truman Brewery:

Photos courtesy of Pictures on Walls

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Very Nearly Almost issue 11 launch party

Very Nearly Almost‘s 11th issue hits shelves this month, and so next week they’ve got a launch party for the magazine. Should be good fun. This issue’s cover artist is the UK’s INSA, and other artists from around the world are featured inside. In fact, make sure to pick up this issue of magazine because it’s where you can read an interview that I did with Case earlier this year. Plus they’ve got the legendary Mike Giant, the super-cool photographer Ruedione and one of my personal favorite artists, Gaia. Hope to see you at the launch.

And speaking of Ruedione, Acclaim Magazine has just posted an interview that Ruedieone did with Revok just moments before Revok’s infamous arrest in Australia.

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New Banksy artwork in LA

Photo by Ben Phen

Twitterer Ben Phen was the first to photograph this potential new Banksy in Los Angeles. It’s located at La Brea & 4th. So far, I haven’t seen anything saying that the artwork has been either covered in perspex or tagged over.

It might not be his funniest stencil to date, but the piece looks like a Banksy, and with Exit Through The Gift Shop premiering in LA this week, it’s a safe bet that Banksy is trying to promote the film with some outdoor activities. Hopefully this is the first of a few new pieces we’ll see from him in LA or across the states as his film is shown around the country.

What I’m most curious about though is not if Banksy is in LA, but if Mr. Brainwash is. And will Mr. Brainwash attend any screenings of Exit Through The Gift Shop? Thoughts?