What is the Dustward:
The Dustward is a collective of notable artists emerging from the underground of art, publishing, graffiti, photography, bicycle messenger culture, skateboarding, design and urban music scenes.
From the early 90’s individual Dustward members have interacted with each other on a variety of levels to the present day where they all have indivually risen to prominence in their chosen disciplines.
In 2007 the artists solidified their social and artistic network forming The Dustward uniting artists from Philadelphia, New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
As a collective unit the artists work to display their unified vision; a bleak, outside look at the last outposts of a crumbling society refracted and rebuilt into an overwhelming, all-consuming, multi-layered visual, audio, lifestyle collage.
The Dustward looks into itself to see any kind of future; it prides itself on its adaptation and utilization of tools and vehicles, prospers from adversity, and moves in positive forward motion into a millennium not yet formed
Who is the Dustward:
Board Members:
Timothy Walkiewicz
Timothy Walkiewicz is an artist who lives and works in lower Manhattan. His recent work revolves around appropriation and the reconstruction of meaning involving found video, visual and audio collage, as well as his work with painting, drawing, cartooning, phonecards, bathrooms and signage. Sometimes he does tags and produces a small zine called Duffed Out. Tim has designed logos and cartoon mascots for graffiti/street brands Krink, and IRAKNY as well as the SNIFA series of flyers in early 2007 for the late aNYthing’s 205 club.
He has exhibited work in NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Miami.
Dan Murphy
Lifelong Philadelphia cultural icon and artist Dan Murphy has been steadily amassing a distinct, expansive visual identity for the past 10 years. He has published Stuck on the Map as a zine and a book since 2000 and is the co-publisher of internationally recognized Megawords Magazine. Dan recently, along with Tony Smyrski, published Public Wall Writing in Philadelphia. Dan grew up in the same neighborhood as Jesse Geller. He did graffiti in the 90's and has lately been trying to make up for the spots he missed since he "quit". Dan enjoys traveling, Kathryn, Germantown, health food, and has recently become a novice farmer. He has exhibited in Philadelphia , NYC and Miami.
Stefan Simikich
San Francisco photographer and artist Stefan Simikich is known widely for his stark, black and white photography and his co-founding of SF based Hamburger Eyes Photo Periodical and Art Empire. As a member of the Dustward his work with collage, drawing and media manipulation has become essential in setting a standard in the group aesthetic. Stefan was born at a very young age. He spends his days climbing scaffolding and fixing broken shit, by night he may be found wandering the streets of SF shooting fotos and kicking it with his squad outside somewhere. He has exhibited in many places.
Rebekah Maysles
Rebekah Maysles (with a s) is an artist who was born and raised in Manhattan. She spent a formative ten years of her life living in Philadelphia where she met Dan Murphy and became a contributor to Megawords Magazine. Rebekah, in collaboration with her sister Sara, and Dan are creating illustrations for a book focusing on the lives of the Beales of the influential 1975 documentary film Grey Gardens. Her interests include beautiful women, broken baby strollers, overloaded shopping carts and things that try not to fall apart. Rebekah’s artwork is as much documentation and demonstration of lifestyle as it is craft and design. She takes photographs, records sound, paints, and works with printmaking. She is also a tie-dyer and glass-blower. She produces the publication Ha Bie Bie. She currently lives in Harlem and is the proud parent of a black cat named Danger. She has exhibited her work in NYC, Philadelphia and North Carolina.
Who is the Dustward:
Contributing Artists and Dignitaries
Tim Badalucco
Tim Badalucco was made a martyr by the LA county Penal System in the mid to late 1990’s serving jailtime for his supposed crimes as epic graffiti writer Gkae MSK. In the years following his incarceration he continued making a mark on the country by living in a number of US cities, he paused in New York City for a number of years and finally settled in the Germantown Region of Philadelphia in 2005. He has exhibited work in LA, NYC, SF and Philadelphia as well as most other American cities.
Mark Cross
(aka mark mark mark aka cake)
Mark Cross is a San Francisco artist who produces his zine Mudd Guts and other artwork as well as tattoos and rules.Joseph James Gallagher
Joseph Gallagher is a photographer and filmmaker who currently lives in Lower Manhattan with his girlfriend, artist Hannah Hooper and dog, Finn. Joe has contributed to several influential Manhattan Public Access shows, and made two independent skateboard videos. Joe's work document's his life and surroundings through photos, film, notes, and correspondence with friends, family, and former employers. He also produces a zine serval times a year under different names.Jesse Geller
Philadelphia Born Lifestyle Artist Jesse Geller resides in San Francisco where he creates signs, paintings and takes photographs. He is the founding and only original member of international superstars BumRush, still performing with the group. Jesse also likes doggies and avocado sushi. He lived in SF General Hospital for three months after being attacked with an axe and falling off a roof. He gets epic and loves his mom. Jesse owns an original DeMartini bag. He likes to do art shows and has had his work exhibited in Philadelphia, NYC, San Francisco, Miami and Los Angeles.Hannah Bolton Hooper
Hannah Hooper lives and works in lower Manhattan with her boyfriend Joe Gallagher and doggy Finn. Hooper is currently working on a series of underwater distortion portraits in oil, watercolor and enamel. She makes a monthly zine and is a really famous and influential porn star. She has exhibited her work in S.F, L.A, New York, Paris and Berlin.Kunle Martins
Ultra-New Yorker artist Kunle Martins has gained notoriety and fame as much for his work as graffiti and shoplifting legend Earsnot IRAK as for his revolutionary IRAKNY clothing label. His section of the graffiti documentary “Infamy” has become a cult classic amongst graffiti writers, normals, and jocks of all generations. He works in a variety of mediums from enamel on metal, and silkscreened t-shirts to digital illustration and media manipulation and video. He has exhibited in NYC, LA and London.
ORFNRay Potes
Ray Potes has been making pictures for the past 20 years. At age 14, he made his first zine and has been doing the same ever since. Today he edits and publishes Hamburger Eyes Photo Magazine, a magazine inspired by the traditions that began with National Geographic and Life Magazine, dedicated to revitalizing the sensation of photography as a craft as well as a tool to record and document.
Recently, the Burgerworld gang has acquired a fully equipped darkroom rental facilty. Located in San Francisco, the Photo Epicenter is over 2000 sq. ft. and also houses a gallery, a digital lab, and a retail area. In a short period it has become the centrally located hub of all things photographic. Ray Potes will man the controls of the new command center as a ceo, a publisher, a producer, a filmmaker, and most of all a photographer.Emily Riedman-Walkiewicz
Lifelong New York resident and artist Emily Riedman-Walkiewicz has been an art educator in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx for the New York City Public School System and Parsons School of Design for the last 6 years . She teaches her students the value of new art and media with inspirational, hands on demonstrations of technique and style. Her personal work highlights the underside of the suburban and rural areas surrounding New York City using a variety of mediums including painting, printmaking and digital manipulation to create her nostalgic, foreboding imagery. She lives in Lower Manhattan and enjoys spending time with her dog Jackie, talking, and looking at sea otters on the internet. Emily has exhibited in New York City many times.Josh Smith
Philadelphia based artist Josh Smith (aka LeJosh) focuses on keeping things fresh while working with paint, pen and markers. He takes time to explore daytime graffiti with a brush. Pinecones have been a great inspiration in Josh's art. He has exhibited in Philadelphia many times.Crystal Stokowski
Crystal Stokowski was born in december of 1982 in western massachusetts. She has lived in philadelphia since 2003. She is a self taught artist of multiple mediums. She spends most of her time in her studio sewing, printing, painting, and making hip hop remixtapes. when she's not in her studio she's probably cooking, sleeping, or on tour.Kieran Swan
San Francisco artist Kieran Swan paints.Sergei Trudnowksi
Sergei Trudnowski is an artist, photographer and pioneering street skateboarder who lives and
works in Philadelphia, PA. He retired from his years of pro street skating in 1999 after years of touring and representing for Love Park and the Philadelphia skateboard and hardcore scenes. In 2000 he began his graffiti career as SIMA, a key component in the early 2000’s NYC downtown graffiti scene. In this era he played a key role in the introduction of many Dustward members. He is a father and still skates the streets and parks of Philly today. Serge shows a variety of photographs and artwork documenting his and his friends involvement in all aspects of his life from the late 80’s to the present time.
ADN Technical Facilitators and Advisors:
Jesse Pollock
Originally from Boston, Jesse Pollock runs his website unpiano from the San Francisco Bay Area. He also works as a freelance web designer, consults for local arts organizations and serves as managing editor of the art website Fecal Face Dot Com. His photos have appeared in a variety of newspapers and magazines as well as in his self published photo zine Catch a Bad One. Portions of his music blog are also hosted as podcasts throughout the internet, on sites such as Fecal Face and Receiver Studios.