Big grin, wild hair, snappy suit. Co-founder of Le Gun magazine and one half of Victorian Punk Revivalists The Rubbishmen, artist Robert Rubbish muses on social happenings.
Robert Rubbish grew up on the island of Jersey, before moving to Bristol to study art, continuing his studies at The Royal College where he met many of his current collaborators. Opening an exhibition today at Rough Trade entitled Quark, Strangeness and Charm, his new works blend his love of punk and ska music with his equally passionate love of luxuriant facial hair and map his quest to complete his collection of apocryphal album covers.
Alongside things that Robert loves, his art also features the things he’s not so keen on. This is where his ‘Schadelfick’ drawings come in (possibly a bad choice of word). Schadelfick translates to ‘skull f*ck’ in German and it seems that David Cameron and the Tory party in general are Robert’s current schadelfick. One such drawing depicts being attacked by giant mosquitoes whilst dressed in Y fronts.
i-D online met up with Robert at his ‘wife’ and Le Gun collaborator Neal Fox’s studio to ask him a few questions about growing up, anarchy and art.
Quark, Strangeness and Charm at Rough Trade runs from September 6th - 30th at 91 Brick Lane, London E1 6QL
Text and Photography: Rebecca Thomas
Film: Makda Iyasu
Above: Robert Rubbish and Neal Fox