Anthony Burrill joins artists using byproduct of Australian bush fires

Anthony Burrill has joined a group of artists creating work using charcoal left by the Australian bush fires, for an exhibition and auction called Rise. The list of international artists ranges from emerging to established names including illustrators Jean Jullien, Sara Meadows, Jordy van den Nieuwendijk, Jon Burgerman and Hunter S. Thompson’s collaborator Ralph Steadman, artists James Jarvis, Annica Lydenberg and Jeremyville, and street artist Shepard Fairey – all applying this poignant material to original works.

Burrill’s print, titled No Safe Place, employs the designer’s signature bold typography, screenprinted with ink concocted from charcoal. You can see the making of the ink and prints in a short film (below) made by Tom Sharman. There are a limited number available from the designer’s online shop, while the others will go to Rise. All proceeds will be donated to a number of charities working to rebuild lives and restore lost wildlife habitats in Australia.

Rise exhibition organisers Luca Ionescu and Anna Hunt have collected the charcoal from destruction sites and sent them out to all the participating artists. The location, dates and online silent auction details are being announced soon.

Earlier this month, the activist group Bushfire Brandalism replaced 78 print adverts around major cities in Australia with artwork by 41 artists, illustrators and graphic designers, in an act of protest over the government’s response to the disaster.

Also, in 2017, Air Ink – a brand of inks and paints made from particles of black soot captured from car exhausts and chimneys – commissioned a group of artists to use its innovative product to create pieces to demonstrate its unique qualities, including a fully hand-illustrated billboard.