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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The latest from Mr. Di Maggio

This is the latest wheatpaste by Mr. Di Maggio in Milan. I think it makes a powerful statement about art. Right now, the public seems like they want to burn the banking community at the stake, while the government seems to see bankers as the most important component of society: they raise the GDP after all (in good years). On the other hand, artists generally aren’t monetarily rewarded by society for adding to an area’s culture. When you get down to it though, who is more valuable? Maybe we should move our tax dollars from bailouts to more art classes and subsidies for artists…

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Banksy film premieres at Sundance

Banksy’s film Exit Through the Gift Shop premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday. The LA Times has a review…

The movie doesn’t appear anywhere in the Sundance Film Festival’s catalogue. Outside a small circle of ultra-secretive confidantes, nobody knows its director’s identity and whereabouts. And the film’s place in the Sundance schedule wasn’t even announced until last week.That hasn’t stopped acclaimed British street artist Banksy’s “Exit Through the Gift Shop” from becoming Park City’s hottest ticket.

Outside Park City’s 446-seat Library Center Theater, Banksy fans started queuing up hours before “Gift Shop’s” 8:30 p.m. screening in 15-degree weather, even if their chances of getting in were slim. The screening, which was also a sales event for the film’s representatives, Cinetic Media, felt more like a feverish night club, with Jared Leto, Adrian Grenier and uber hipster Danny Masterson (of “That ’70s Show”) in the packed house.

A film-within-a-film that begins as a chronicle of guerrilla art and its most prominent creators but morphs into a sly satire of celebrity, consumerism, the art world and filmmaking itself, “Exit Through the Gift Shop” is a nearly impossible work to categorize. That doesn’t begin to describe the contradictions that surround the new movie that’s both about — and made by — the controversial and hugely popular artist.

“Trying to make a movie which truly conveys the raw thrill and expressive power of art is very difficult. So I haven’t bothered,” Banksy said in a statement to The Times e-mailed from his publicist, Jo Brooks. “Instead this is a simple everyday tale of life, longing and mindless vandalism.”

….

Read the rest on The LA Times‘ website…

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Case solo show: Never odd or even

As previewed, Case has a solo show opening next month here in London. Here’s the press release:

Signal Gallery in association with Campbarbossa, are pleased to announce the forthcoming solo show by the renowned German artist Andreas Von Chrzanowski AKA Case. Following on from successful solo shows in Los Angeles and his homeland, his first London show will be an exciting event. As well as producing works for the gallery, Case will be painting a number of large street pieces across East London.

19th February – 6th March 2010
Opening Reception: 18th February 18:00 – 20:30
Signal Gallery
96a Curtain Road
London
EC2A 3AA

Case has been producing spectacular street pieces for a decade, primarily as a founder member of the celebrated German street art group, the Maclaim Crew. Specialising in a heightened form of photorealism, several of the artists in the Clan have moved onto working individually and producing fine art works for the Gallery. Case has taken this route too, to great acclaim. Developing the pioneering photorealist spray paint style of the group further in his own works, Case has produced a series of stunning detailed paintings that have made his work much sought after by galleries and collectors alike. In his solo show at Signal Gallery, ‘Never Odd Or Even’, Case is taking his inspiration from the fantastical world of Alice Through The Looking Glass…

Check out more photos on the Montana website.

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Never a Dull Moment at White Walls

This looks like a pretty cool show. iO Wright has brought together an eclectic mix of artists for Never a Dull Moment, which opens in a few weeks at White Walls in San Fransisco. Personally, I’m most excited to see new work from Armsrock.

White Walls is proud to present Never a Dull Moment, a group show curated by iO Wright. Never a Dull Moment will transform the gallery into a cohesive environment that embraces all mediums of creativity from sixteen artists. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, February 6th, 2010, from 7-11pm.

Never a Dull Moment features Anthony Lister, Alessandro Zuek Simonetti, Jaybo Monk, Angela Boatwright, Augustine Kofie, Dave Potes, Jonathan Darby, Ray Potes, Remi Rough, iO Wright, Erik Otto, Cheryl Dunn, Armsrock, Dave Schubert, Sam Ash and Clayton Brothers. iO Wright has chosen these artists for their “get your hands dirty” and “don’t worry just do” mentality. Without considering outside forces, they are urged to continuously create and express themselves. With shared roots in graffiti art, this group has a flare for action, immediacy, and unpredictability. Never a Dull Moment exposes viewers to the creative mind’s raw inner workings and draws distinct parallels between everyday immediate expression and fine art.

Never a Dull Moment will be a transformation of the gallery space into a chaotic, organic environment close to the heart of the artistic process. Film, sculpture, installation, and large-scale wheat paste can be expected from this multi media, multi talented group of artists. Embracing the connection between photography and fine art, Never a Dull Moment will meld the two together just as they are in everyday life. Several artists including Jaybo Monk, Remi Rough, Erik Otto, Augustine Kofie and Jonathan Darby plan to create a site-specific installation to accompany their works in the gallery. The installation will no doubt be interactive and multi sensory, with few white walls in sight.

iO Wright is a photography based artist, writer, and curator. Along with co-founding the street art quarterly, Overspray Magazine, iO curated Climb in the Back Window at Shadow’s Space Gallery in Philadelphia in 2009. Keeping close tabs on urban art, she has also interviewed such influential artists as Shepard Fairey and Erik Foss. This exhibition is curated by iO Wright and sponsored by White Walls, Hamburger Eyes, and New Order Magazine.

The opening reception of Never a Dull Moment at White Walls Gallery will be held on Saturday, February 6th, 2010 from 7-11pm. The exhibit will be on display through February 27th, 2010 and is open to the public.

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Roa in Paris – his first solo show

Photo by urbanartcore.eu

Some very exciting news today for fans of Roa: His first solo show show opens February 4th at Galerie Itinerrance in Paris, thanks to Samantha Longhi at Stencil History X.

Photo by Heart of Oak

Roa opens a door to a twilight zone by settling in the heart of the city wandering animals such as crows, hares and rats that live close to humans, in relative agreement. He portrayed them in static positions, waiting or sleeping with a disquieting realism in black and white. Roa come to his painting in different ways, either as abandoned places, town, or gallery, and develops more and more the effects of anamorphosis, also in a goal context. After distinguished journeys in the streets of New York, London, Berlin and Warsaw in 2009, Roa now takes possession of Paris.

February 4-28th 2010.

Opening on February 4th from 6PM.

Galerie Itinerrance – 7bis, rue René Goscinny 75013 Paris

Photo by watz
Photo by unusualimage

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VNA #10 limited edition D*face cover giveaway

Anybody looking for a free D*Face print? Look no further. Vandalog has one special edition of Very Nearly Almost issue #10 to give away. But more on that in a second.

Frankly, VNA is my favorite art magazine (yes, I like Juxtapoz, but it rarely beats VNA), in part because they get better with every issue. Issue 10 is a real milestone issue for VNA. There are the usual photos of street art in London and around the world, interviews with Shok1, D*face, Dalek and more, and other bits like product reviews. Basically, it’s the usual great mag for a price of just £4.

And about that D*face print…

VNA did a special promotion with D*Face for this issue. He designed the cover, and at the launch party they had a special edition of 150 screenprinted covers available. They also made just a few of those covers in a blue colorway (as seen above). That’s what I’ve got sitting on my desk right now, and it’s available for one lucky Vandalog reader who can answer this question: In what American state did D*face recently paint the “Ridiculous Pool”? Just email your answer to rj(a-t)vandalog(dot)com before Tuesday the 26th at 4pm London time. I’ll randomly select a winner from the people who answer correctly. This is a pretty unique opportunity, because only a few of these blue covers were printed, and they aren’t available for sale anywhere.

Oh, and if you don’t know about the Ridiculous Pool, here it is:

You can buy Very Nearly Almost in store or online.

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Exit Through The Gift Shop updates

I’m sure this is just the first of many posts updating the information on Banksy’s film Exit Through The Gift Shop.

The BBC reports that yes, as speculated everywhere online but here, the film will premiere on Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival as a sort of secret surprise entry and will open in UK cinemas on March 5th.

According to the BCC, “It is described as the story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on him.” This can only mean one thing, Mr. Brainwash. Also, MBW is shown in the trailer. For a while, rumors have been circulating that MBW is Banksy, either as a massive prank on the art world that shows how good PR can make any crappy artist popular, or as an experiment to see if Banksy would be popular without the Banksy “brand name” to back him up. Well that’s just not the case. Unfortunately, MBW is a real person who thinks he is an artist, and it’s well known that he started his art career while making a documentary film about Banksy and other street artists. Apparently, this is that film. I can’t wait to see it, I only hope it makes people realize what a terrible artist MBW is, instead of adding to his allure.

Also, although it hasn’t been reported if Banksy will reveal his identity or not (let’s hope not), Banksy will appear on camera in the film in some form.