When RJ Rushmore ’14 was still a student at Haverford, the Vandalog editor brought several street artists to campus to speak on a panel and create art that the entire community could enjoy. (You have him to thank for the Gaia, Troy Lovegates, and Labrona murals on James House.) So it makes sense that when he returned to campus it would be to further expose the College community to even more of the work (and methodology) of spray-painted public art.
ALL BIG LETTERS, which opened at the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery on Jan. 20, celebrates the 50th anniversary of modern graffiti and was curated by Rushmore, who also gave a talk at the opening. The exhibit explores how the artform of graffiti is fundamentally entangled with its tools, so in addition to showcasing the work of BLADE, CURVE, EKG, Evan Roth, FAUST, Fumakaka Crew, Lee George Quinones, LOIQ, and NTEL, the show also presents the tools of the trade, such as custom lock-picking kits, homemade markers, and a fire extinguishers filled with paint.
Additionally, in considering graffiti’s intersecting interests in place, style, thrill, and fame, ALL BIG LETTERS has filled the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery with stickers, other artifacts, and photographs of graffiti in its “natural habitat,” out in the world.
Related programming for ALL BIG LETTERS includes a Do-It- Yourself Zine Workshop with Adam VOID on Feb. 6, and a Brewerytown Street Art Walking Tour with Rushmore on Feb. 18. Join us for one of these events and to take in this exciting, kinetic show before it closes on March 3.
Photos by Caleb Eckert ’17.