Biography

TEWZ 1 (b. 1980, Chicago)

(*QUE DRUM BREAK*) Jack of all trades, master of some. A renaissance man for the new millennium. 2007 Cut&Paste Digital Design Tournament Champion. TEWZ 1 is a is a graffiti writer, lyricist, pixel pusher, DJ, beatsmith, crate digger, painter, printer, trouble maker, lover, fighter, smart ass, and a pretty damn fine cook. Born and raised in Chicago, IL, TEWZ has been running around on rooftops, in train yards, and through subway tunnels for the last 16 years. His art can be found in the streets and galleries of Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and as far away as London, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, São Paulo, and Rio De Janeiro. Past projects include fake postage stamps depicting famous imPOSTors, (they actually worked by the way), plastic police patty wagon piggy banks, and news paper dispensers turned into Monster Boxes. He has collaborated on new work with organizations such as Lollapalooza, Juxtapoz, the Art Institute of Chicago Museum Store, and Adidas. TEWZ is currently working on life sized screen prints, building pirate radio transmitters, and looking for an apartment. Stay Tuned.


Artist Statement

I am a native Chicago artist that has been working with public space since the early 1990's. I am interested in the way people engage with space & getting them to think about it in new ways. These places offer thousands of opportunities for artistic intervention. For example, an empty lot can be the venue for a 1 day art gallery, market, performance, or semi-permanent covert sculpture installation. The audience for public space is very different from those of gallery space. The majority of city residents aren't exposed to art. They may never set foot inside of a gallery. Working on the street allows me to bring art to the people, instead of bringing people to the art. I work primarily with resources and materials that are readily available on the street. Discarded trash, wood, electronics, & plastic can all be creatively RE:Used. These materials call attention to resources that are being wasted and ignored. They force us to think about how we use materials and what we throw away. My work also deals with public space on a conceptual level. The static spaces between radio stations offer opportunities for pirate broadcasting. This raises questions about control, ownership, and access. Who has the right to these spaces? Are they public? or are they private?

 
 

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EDUCATION

Current Student, Visual Communications/Print media, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2007)
Associates Degree, University of Illinois, Champaign Urbana (1998)

AWARDS

Presidential Merit Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2007)
SAIC Grant, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2007)

EXHIBITIONS

Who Art Thou, Lollapalooza, Chicago (2008)
Veni Vidi Vici, Juxtapoz Magazine, San Francisco (2008)
Keys Open Doors, South Union Arts, Chicago (2008)
Hello My Name is Chicago, The Country Club, Chicago (2008)
I Love Haters, Empty Bottle, Chicago (2008)
Cut & Paste Digital Design Tournament, Jury Prize, Chicago (2007)
Art Ate New York, The 40 Thompson St. Gallery, New York (2007)
Re:Mission, Think Space, Los Angeles (2007)
Improvised Identity, Dulcenea, Chicago (2006)
Fall Arts Festival, Around the Coyote, Chicago (2006)
Dirty Girls, Lakeview Broadcasting Company, Chicago (2006)
Nocturnal Emissions, D'Vine Restaurant & Wine Bar, Chicago (2006)
Analog Addicts, Tre Via Ristorante, Chicago (2006)
Around the Coyote Fall Arts Festival, ArtIsTroy Gallery, Chicago (2005)
Seize the Night, Big House, Chicago (2005)
Saturation Point, Balazo Gallery, San Francisco (2003)
South by Southwest (SXSW), The Vibe, Austin (2002)
Chicago Rocks, Metro, Chicago (2002)

PROFFESIONAL EXPERIENCE

After School Teacher, South Chicago Art Center (2006)
Guest Teacher, Boys and Girls Club of Chicago (2006)
Guest Teacher, University of Chicago Lab Schools (2006)
Art Director, Cold Crush Cottons (2005)                
Creative Director, Crook Clothing (2005)                                               
Guest Teacher, Walter Payton High School (2002)                               
Art Director, Frontline Records (2001)