An Artist You Should Know: Shannon Rush
Shannon Rush is an artist from New Zealand, and like pretty much everyone else from New Zealand moved to Australia almost as soon as he could.
After ten years in Melbourne, he’s moved to rural NSW, and now resides in Singleton, an hour out from Newcastle. Shannon’s art has evolved from his illustration work that can be seen in his 2017 book, Pretty Blue and throughout skate videos that include, Geoff Campbell’s Cunnies Box, and Hoddle’s Oscar’s House. His current work is more sculpture-heavy, with a focus on the use of unorthodox materials, from soap and bubblegum, to crackers. Shannon’s work has been immortalized into skateboard graphics for Hoddle and Pass~Port, who just released his recent S.R Spoons series. A series that features a collection of teaspoons with arms and legs cut into their bowls to resemble people, up against that classic Pass~Port brown woodgrain. Shannon's work is cool, interesting and resourceful. Here for the lols, he makes art that’s fun, enjoyable and something to smile at.
For Sydney heads, keep an eye out for his show at the Pass~Port Store and Gallery that is opening in September, go see his spoons and bubblegum sculptures in person.
Pass~Port recently released the S.R Spoons series you did for them, how did working with the spoons come up?
I was making these clay figurines and would use the end of a spoon to stamp a face onto them. One day I was looking at them and was like if I hammer it down, make it flat, cut out arms and legs, it can be its own little person. It was perfect timing because around that time I was done with the original clay figurine series and it was cool to keep the spoon around, it got to live as its own thing.
I got obsessed with online shopping, going to all the op shops around Singleton, and around other little towns looking for spoons. I spent hundreds of dollars on spoons that I could work a body into.
What were you looking for in the spoons?
I was looking to see if they would work as a face, and it was all faces until I realised, I could get a bit more intricate.
Was it hard to find them?
I would buy full collections online, and it was almost like a lucky dip. They would turn up in a plastic bag and you’re just going through them seeing what you’re working with. You’re buying someone’s whole collection to just cut them up or throw them out. They would hate it if they knew what I was doing with it. They’ve spent years collecting them and I’m buying them for $40, to make a full side of the road, freakshow art kind of shit.
How did it evolve into a board series?
I hit up Trent [Evans, owner of Pass~Port] and told him I have this idea to do a graphic series and he really quickly messaged back being like ‘Yeah, keen as.’ I wasn’t expecting anything, it was almost out of desperation being like, ‘What the hell am I doing with these spoons, what can I do with them?’ Looking at them I thought this could look good on a board, so I hit them up and they were thankfully down. Trent is the most generous person that I’ve come across in terms of business before.
Man, Trent is the best. I saw them in the shop and thought they looked good on the wall.
Thank you. I just had to pick ones that resembled the skaters, they really don’t but in my mind they did [laughs]. I’m just out here in the country by myself like, ‘That’s definitely an O’Grady’ [laughs].
You’ve been making bubblegum sculptures recently, right?
Yeah, years ago, I did these soap sculptures, one of them got used for a Hoddle graphic and there was a soap sculpture on the last Pass~Port board I did. After that I did blu-tack, it was an extension, even the spoons are the same. I never went to art school and I have beef with the concept that you fall into one of the art medium categories and that’s it. I’ve always sought out things that aren’t classic mediums and at some point, you have to pick bubblegum. That’s what I’ve been doing, it’s colourful, the Hubba Bubba strawberry which is my bubblegum of choice, you put them in the fridge, and they freeze up.
What are the sculptures of?
They're small people that aren’t super detailed. I’ve made figures out of clay and then moulded them and now I’m filling the molds with bubblegum.
Are you chewing all the bubblegum?
[Laughs] Dude if I chewed it all I would be bouncing off the walls. People have asked me that before, when I did the blu-tack sculptures people thought that was bubblegum, and they were like ‘Do you chew every single piece?’ Instead of correcting them and saying ‘Nah, it's blu-tack’ I just told them that I chewed it all. But no, I just put it in water to soften it and then knead it until it's loose enough to put into the mold. Bubblegum has been on my mind for years and it has only just started to work for me now which is hilarious [laughs].
It's pretty sick, this is another thing to your body of edible art.
Edible art?
The Simon [Zuzic] Hoddle graphic too.
Oh yeah, no shit. The honey bottle and the chicken crimpy shapes. That was me thinking about the composition of a skateboard, a totem pole sort of thing would work. For morning tea at work, we get an abundance of Shapes, I’d be looking at the chicken crimpy in particular and being like ‘I could use this for something’. Simon hit me up to make a graphic and he gave me a reference of a drawing that I had done, and I made that board which is so far off what he wanted [laughs]. Then the pool ball came from when I was working as a furniture removalist in Melbourne, we had these really tricky customers and I stole one ball from their pool set, so they couldn’t have a full game. They were so frustrating. I sent that ball to Simon, so he owns the ball from the board. It’s really nice being able to do boards for Hoddle, it’s really beautiful that brand.
How did you get into making sculptures?
I’ve always been into drawing; they were always black ink on white paper, and sculpture always was something I loved, but was so intimidated by. I started using soaps which were black and white, so I could carve them and draw over the top, essentially being one of my drawings. That idea came strangely enough from Shawshank Redemption. In the film, they get funding to build a library and there was a scene where they were all going around looking at the books they got donated and one of them was called Soap Sculptures. It gave me the idea and for six months, I got so into it and loved the process. I remember making the first one I was proud of and showing my girlfriend at the time being like ‘Look, I made one!’ and I don’t think she was that impressed but I don’t think I cared, I was [laughs].
What do you think draws you to using soap and more unorthodox materials?
It is a lot less intimidating than using clay, which I think partly comes from insecurity. If I make something that I’ve never seen before, I don’t have anything to compare it to. If I have an idea for something that would work better to be made out of clay, I’ll think that I’ll fail because there are so many good things made out of clay. Instead I’m like I may as well make it out of blu-tac, which makes it hilarious because it doesn’t even exist. All the sculptures I’m talking about now have fallen over and don’t exist anymore, they aren’t made to last. They’re hard to work with, you really have to tackle the stuff you’re working with a bit more.
For sure. You’re living out in Singleton in rural NSW currently, how did you end up there?
I’m working as an art assistant for Dale Frank. We essentially just help him with his practice. It’s out in the middle of nowhere, I’m 15-minute drive from Singleton, it’s rural. The mines are on one side and the army base on the other. Just before you called me, there were five kangaroos hopping past my bedroom window. A bunch of snakes are here too. Where I am is a sanctuary for the wildlife, so the kangaroos are really comfortable here, and they get quite friendly. There are also hares out here that are bigger than my cat. So many beautiful birds too.
Have you been influenced by working with Dale?
Yeah, it’s encouraging to make my own stuff, there is influence from the attitude. I’ve always been really shy about my art until recently and I think it’s been here where I feel freer and looser or have the confidence to be like I’m an artist as opposed to telling everyone I was a furniture removalist or something. It’s closer to me saying it now, the attitude has been really encouraging.
Feeling more comfortable to say that is huge.
Yeah, it's huge, it’s a weight off my shoulders. I don't feel like I’m hiding it anymore.
You had two shows in Japan, how were they?
They were amazing. I had two shows there. People would come in, look at stuff, be super into it and then in Japanese would ask someone if they are allowed to laugh at it, then they would ask me, ‘This person wants to know if they can laugh at it?’ I would be like ‘Of course, it's part of the work, I’m here for the lols the organic lols.’ Then they’d start cracking up then they’d come up to me and tell me how much they loved it. That was a beautiful experience to get these natural reactions and their natural reactions being laughter. I loved it. That was really cool. I embraced the shared experience of mocking me [laughs].
I think when a lot of it is using unorthodox mediums, there is a humour element to it. That Simon board we were talking about earlier for example is so funny.
Yeah totally, it’s hilarious. I look at it and am like ‘Chicken Shapes?’ but it’s funny because when I’m doing it, I’m so serious, but after the fact it’s like ‘Jesus, this is so ridiculous.’ I’m so glad I can lock in and take those things seriously for long enough to do them and then laugh at it with everyone else.
Totally, I don’t think there is anything wrong with making art that is funny, it’s another emotion that’s nice to feel.
Oh, it’s beautiful, it’s nice to see that you can get that out of people, and they can’t help it but that’s their natural response to smile and laugh, that’s as powerful and a lot happier than being upset by seeing something, so it’s cool when I see that happening, I love it.
You’ve got a show coming up at the Pass~Port Store and Gallery, right?
Yeah, I have a show there in September. I’ll show all the spoons, the bubblegum sculptures and a whole bunch of other stuff. I’m excited to show it all.
How are you planning on showing the spoons?
The latest idea I had this morning – so it’ll probably change by September – is like the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, album cover.
Damn, that’s sick.
Yeah, it’s a whole bunch of smaller, larger, and bubblegum sculpture stuff. Having it all sit together like a big class photo.
That’s such a good way to do it. Do you have anything you want to end this with?
Up the Wahs. Please put that in there [laughs].