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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Great In ’08: Know Hope Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today will be the last day of the series (Yes! Accidental perfect timing), and Know Hope has been given the chance to close it out.

Know Hope: I’ve met so many great, talented and dedicated artists in the past six months. lots of amazing art was seen and getting to know and work with them was definitely inspiring. until now, I hadn’t been used to traveling as much, so these were good times. since this is supposed to be a ‘gift’ to an artist I think has done good work the past year, I thought that instead of a gift, it would be cool to use this submission more as a ‘toast’, to close this year and start the new one, a documentation of a moment. so at the risk of sounding PC and/or like a fuckin’ hippy; this is for everyone out there doing their best with what they got, the new and old friends and everybody fightin’ the good fight.

Cans Festival. Photo by charbel.akhras
Cans Festival. Photo by charbel.akhras

See more photos and videos after the jump…

Continue reading “Great In ’08: Know Hope Says…”

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Great In ’08: PMP Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s Peripheral Media Projects‘ turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

Garrison of PMP: One artist that inspires me with really great work is Ezra Li, hailing from the city of Oakland, CA.  He decorates the SF Bay and beyond with hyper-skilled art.  His work transcends street, graf, painting, and collage, as he uses all of these things plus an arsenal of other visual weaponry like calligraphic energy vibrations and tight illustration.  I really appreciate that Ezra Li combines solid art chops with a deeper spirituality and consciousness that transcends most other work out there.  His creations are not only stunning to look at but heady as well.

Ghost Town by Ezra Li
Ghost Town by Ezra Li

See more photos of Ezra Li’s work after the jump…

Continue reading “Great In ’08: PMP Says…”

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Street Art London Charity Raffle

Great news for all the street art print lovers reading this: Mike Marcus and the Street Art London flickr group are organizing a 12 week charity print raffle starting this week.

Each Saturday, a different artist will volunteer a work and suggest a charity which the proceeds will go to. A photograph of this work will be posted to the group and tickets will be available until the following friday via paypal at £1 each. There will be no limit set on the amount of tickets available and each individual can purchase as many as he or she wants.

The winning ticket will be picked at random at the end each week the full proceeds will be transferred to the chosen charity.

The schedule for the next 12 weeks is as follows:

Saturday 27th December – Mike Marcus
Saturday 3rd January – Gemma Compton
Saturday 10th January – Xylo
Saturday 17th January – Shuby
Saturday 24th January – Banksy (tickets available to group members only)
Saturday 31st January – Cake
Saturday 7th February – Paul le Chien
Saturday 14th February – Klone
Saturday 21st February – Part2ism
Saturday 28th February – T.wat
Saturday 7th March – L.E.T
Saturday 14th March – Grafter

Mike Marcus' print
Mike Marcus' print

Find more info here, and check out Mike Marcus’ print (being raffled right now) here.

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Great In ’08: Dotmasters Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s Domasters‘ turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

Dotmasters: Zeus is smashing it at the moment.

Photo by kalevkevad
Photo by kalevkevad

See more photos of Zeus’ work after the jump…

Continue reading “Great In ’08: Dotmasters Says…”

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Great In ’08: Mike Marcus Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s Mike Marcus‘ turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

Mike Marcus: Oh shit! Thats a tough question. I don’t think that I would be able to answer with just one name.

In Israel when I was asked that by journalists, I invariably mentioned Know Hope. I still think that he is doing beautiful, touching work. It really comes unfiltered right from his heart. It expresses his vulnerabilities, fears and passions although I do think that he has become a little less diverse as his commercial success increases. He’s a totally lovely person too.

When I was in NYC I was unexpectedly blown away by Revs. He is an artist that I never bothered really thinking about (probably because of his graffiti roots) but when you see his stuff in the context of the city you realise that he is making the rules that others follow. His work is monolithic yet personal, really exciting to stumble upon.

In London I really like what Paul le Chien is doing. I think that its early days for him and his work already shows fantastic promise. He doesn’t give a fuck (go on, publish the word fuck – you know you want to 🙂 ) about the stylistic conventions that street art seems to be developing. He mixes blatantly homoerotic subjects with well crafted tattoo-art inspired backgrounds. I think that over the next year or so he will start adapting his work to fit better with the street medium and spread out away from Soreditch into other parts of London. I would like to see him go big too.

Can I mention Hera too because she’s cute? 🙂

Revs. Photo by mercurialn
Revs. Photo by mercurialn

See more after the jump… Continue reading “Great In ’08: Mike Marcus Says…”

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Great In ’08: Asbestos Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s Asbestos‘ turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

Asbestos: If you’re asking who I think is doing great work right now, it’s gotta be Brad Downey. He’s been doing some amazing street installations in Berlin and around Europe this year. His street magic series of films is well worth a look if you get a chance to see them (they’re not online, so you might have to find one of his screenings). There’s a playful, thoughtful and provocative intensity to his work that few other artists are achieving right now.

Traffic Jam for Berlin
Traffic Jam for Berlin

See more photos of Brad Downey‘s work after the jump… Continue reading “Great In ’08: Asbestos Says…”

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Great In ’08: Bortusk Leer Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s Bortusk Leer‘s turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

Bortusk Leer: I think Five Four is the artist doing the most original, funny and interesting work right now.

Five Four Neon Con

See more photos of Five Four‘s work after the jump… Continue reading “Great In ’08: Bortusk Leer Says…”

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Fairey Finally Speaks Out Against Obama

Shepard Fairey has FINALLY said a few words criticizing soon-to-be-president Obama.

From obeygaint.com:

I’m very disappointed by Obama’s appointment of Rick Warren to deliver his invocation during Obama’s inaugural address. Rick Warren is against gay marriage and reproductive rights, and he does not believe in evolution (maybe he offers himself as proof of lack of evolution). I understand that Obama is trying to appeal to conservatives and evangelicals, but this move is symbolically a slap in the face to many people. Warren is not a uniter, but a divider… he is intolerant in many of his views. I still think Obama is the best choice for president, but I can’t condone Warren’s involvement in Obama’s inauguration, no matter how insignificant it is.

Shepard Fairey Obama ProgressFairey goes on to say that some of the proceeds from his pro-Obama posters will now go towards initiatives working to reverse California’s Prop-8, which re-banned gay marriage in the state.

I’ve had a hard time with all of Fairey’s pro-Obama work (it seems a bit pro-establishment compared to the rest of his work), but I really respect Fairey for still being willing to criticize Obama.

If you’re in DC for the inauguration, check out Fairey’s Manifest Hope gallery, running from Jaunuary 17-19.

Via the art collectors blog

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Great In ’08: Elbowtoe Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been given one post to give away to one artist who they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s Elbowtoe‘s turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

Elbowtoe: Armsrock

I don’t get to see much of his work in New York, and working on the show with him in LA I got to see some completely fresh pastes. His approach to his choice of spaces and the total integration of his pieces into the environment is what really does it for me. I feel more than any other artist working out there that his work is empowered by the space that it is placed in, and that in turn really completes the piece.

Armsrock Jumping Man

See more photos of Armsrock’s work after the jump… Continue reading “Great In ’08: Elbowtoe Says…”

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Great in ’08: The Krah Says…

As part of Vandalog’s “Great in ’08” series, which will be running every day for the rest of the month. Check out previous posts here. Street artists from across the world have been offered one post to “gift” to one artist that they feel has been doing great work recently. Today it’s The Krah‘s turn.

Who is one artist doing really great work right now?

The Krah: Bizare (aka Stelios Faitakis) from Athens Greece.

Stockmaster in Moment of Triumph
Stockmaster in Moment of Triumph

See more of Bizare’s work after the jump… Continue reading “Great in ’08: The Krah Says…”