Justin Duerr

The younger of two brothers, Duerr was raised in rural Adams County, Pennsylvania, in a barn partially built by his parents. His early interests included pigeon rearing and art. In 1994, he fled rebelliously to Philadelphia and became involved in the local punk squatting scene.

Following his move to Philadelphia, Duerr began publishing his zine Decades of Confusion Feed the Insect, featuring his poetry, essays, and drawings.{{cite web|last=Fertig |first=Tami |url=http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2007/10/04/thinking-outside-the-book |title=Thinking Outside the Book :: Cover Story :: Article :: Philadelphia City Paper |publisher=Archives.citypaper.net |accessdate=2012-07-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106012559/http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2007/10/04/thinking-outside-the-book |archivedate=2013-11-06 }}Lloyd, John. "Not Your Routine Zine Scene," P.A.W. Print, August 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.wuvt.vt.edu/WOOVE/Interviews/An-Interview-with-Justin-Duerr-of-Northern-Liberties |title=/WUVT-FM 90.7/ - An Interview with Justin Duerr of Northern Liberties |publisher=Wuvt.vt.edu |accessdate=2012-07-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219145704/http://www.wuvt.vt.edu/WOOVE/Interviews/An-Interview-with-Justin-Duerr-of-Northern-Liberties |archivedate=2012-02-19 }} He established himself as a visual artist, developing a trademark style of highly detailed black and white posters drawn with Sharpies.{{cite web|last=Zheng |first=Lin |url=http://34st.com/2011/11/arts-top-5-best-of-philly-zine/ |title=Arts Top 5: Best of Philly Zine | 34th Street Magazine |publisher=34st.com |date=2011-11-10 |accessdate=2012-07-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120518042408/http://34st.com/2011/11/arts-top-5-best-of-philly-zine/ |archivedate=2012-05-18 }}{{cite web|last=Rapa |first=Patrick |url=http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2003-07-10/art.shtml |title=Fit To Print |publisher=Archives.citypaper.net |accessdate=2012-07-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106012556/http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2003-07-10/art.shtml |archivedate=2013-11-06 }}{{cite web|url=http://video.whyy.org/video/2203913528/|title=Extended Interview with Justin Duerr |publisher=WHYY.org|accessdate=2013-10-27}}{{cite web|last=Rochester |first=Katherine |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/art/146854745.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130912044130/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/art/146854745.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-09-12 |title=You'll Need a Magnifying Glass for "Stranger Things Have Happened" at Gallery 309 |publisher=Philadelphia Weekly |date=2012-04-11 |accessdate=2013-10-27 }}{{cite web|last=Schwartz |first=Chip| url=http://www.knightarts.org/community/philadelphia/justin-duerr-traction-company |title=Justin Duerr unfurls his tale for open studios at Traction Company |publisher=Knight Arts |date=2012-09-02 |accessdate=2013-10-27}}{{cite web|last=Karas |first=Katie |url=http://archives.citypaper.net/print-article.php?aid=18555 |title=visual art: Song-Story Images |publisher=Philadelphia City Paper |date=2009-03-04 |accessdate=2013-11-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419032454/http://archives.citypaper.net/print-article.php?aid=18555 |archivedate=2013-04-19 }} He also began his long-standing interest in the unexplained Toynbee tile phenomenon at this time.

Duerr's earliest Philadelphia-based musical groups included Eulogy, Aviary 3, and One Rat Brain. Beginning in 2000, he formed the punk group Northern Liberties with his brother Marc Duerr and long-time friend Kevin Riley; the group has released numerous albums and toured extensively since.{{cite web|last=Amorosi |first=A.D. |url=http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2006-03-02/music3.shtml?print=1 |title=Taking Liberties - In the cave with Philly's rock extremists. |publisher=Philadelphia City Paper |date=2006-03-02 |accessdate=2013-10-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106012854/http://archives.citypaper.net/articles/2006-03-02/music3.shtml?print=1 |archivedate=2013-11-06 }}{{cite web|last=Wallen |first=Doug |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/music/live_music-38464119.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131028002947/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/music/live_music-38464119.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-10-28 |title=Live Music: Northern Liberties |publisher=Philadelphia Weekly |date=2008-01-16 |accessdate=2013-10-27 }} Other projects followed thereafter, including the Vivian Girls Experience with fellow artist Enid Crow, Kat Klix, and Erode and Disappear.{{cite web|url=http://www.suckersandbiters.com/adhocartists.html |title=suckers and biters |publisher=suckers and biters |accessdate=2012-07-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129044232/http://www.suckersandbiters.com/adhocartists.html |archivedate=2010-01-29 }}{{cite web|url=http://bad.eserver.org/reviews/2001/2001-11-15-11.42AM.html |title=Bad Subjects: Dawn of Decades |publisher=Bad.eserver.org |date=2001-11-15 |accessdate=2012-07-29}}

Filmmaker Jon Foy began documenting Duerr's research into the Toynbee tile phenomenon in 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6112129|title=Toynbee Tiles Mystery Resurrected in Philly|author=Rose, Joel|publisher=NPR|date=September 23, 2006|accessdate=September 11, 2013}} The resultant feature, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, was selected for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary category, and won the category's Directing Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.sundance.org/festival/article/2011-competition-film-announcement/ |title=2011 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Competition | Sundance Film Festival |publisher=Sundance.org |date=2010-12-01 |accessdate=2012-07-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202091346/http://www.sundance.org/festival/article/2011-competition-film-announcement/ |archivedate=2011-02-02 }} It was released theatrically by Focus Features the following year.

In 2017 Duerr wrote and compiled a monograph and art book about forgotten 20th century artist Herbert E. Crowley, The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Works and Worlds of Herbert Crowley. The book, which included material salvaged by Duerr from an abandoned house in Rockland County, was published by Beehive Books after raising more than $120,000 on Kickstarter.{{cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/arts/justin-duerr-beehive-herbert-crowley-locust-moon-philadelphia-20190708.html|author=Salisbury, Stephan|publisher=Philadelphia Inquirer|title =The world’s ‘most forgotten’ cartoonist is being revived by this brand-new Philly publisher|date=July 8, 2019|accessdate=August 14, 2019}} The book was described by Kirkus Reviews as "a surrealistic, sometimes unsettling pleasure for fans of the avant-garde and an obvious labor of love for all concerned."{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/justin-duerr/the-temple-of-silence/|publisher=Kirkus Reviews|title=THE TEMPLE OF SILENCE Forgotten Works & Worlds of Herbert Crowley by Justin Duerr|date=February 3, 2019|accessdate=August 14, 2019}}

Duerr is known for his elaborately detailed pen and marker drawings, which he has been creating since the 1990s.{{cite web |title=Traveling This Summer? Here Are the Shows You Can’t Miss in 5 Cities Across the United States |url=https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/traveling-this-summer-cant-miss-us-1565563 |website=Artnet News |accessdate=2 October 2020 |date=24 June 2019}} In 2019, Duerr's artwork was featured at Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art in an exhibit entitled Justin Duerr: Surrender to Survival.{{cite web |title=Justin Duerr: Surrender to Survival |url=https://www.art.org/justin-duerr-surrender-to-survival/ |website=Intuit |accessdate=2 October 2020 |date=12 January 2020}}

File:26 On the Heels of World War Five - Justin Duerr.jpg|On the Heels of World War Five (2016), #26 in Duerr's interconnecting scroll series

File:Library of the Dolls (2017.10.14) - Justin Duerr.jpg|Library of the Dolls (2017)

File:I Found a Hole in the Sky (2019.07.31) - Justin Duerr.jpg|I Found a Hole in the Sky (2019)

{{reflist|2}}

• [http://www.justinduerr.com/ Justin Duerr's website]
• [http://www.resurrectdead.com/ Toynbee tile documentary website]
• [http://www.northernlibertiesband.com/ Northern Liberties band website]
• {{IMDb name|4205819}}

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Category:21st-century American artists

Category:Artists from Philadelphia

Category:American punk rock musicians

Category:American male poets

Category:1976 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American poets

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania