“Quitting my day job in porn to freelance as an artist full time,” says artist Brian Ewing of the decision that sparked his career watershed. “[I was] working for Hustler on the magazines handling scheduling, prep houses and printers. I swore that’d be my last day job.” Although Ewing has transformed into one of rock music and pop art’s most prolific, iconic image-makers, remaining down-to-earth and staying inspired are key elements to the growth of his rebellious art empire.

While he’s become a sought-after household name for record labels and agencies, Ewing has stayed true to the independent spirit of his art, and his style has developed over time. “At first I was just happy to get a chance to draw and work with my favorite bands,” he says of his early punk-rock posters. But with his growth from poster artist to full-blown fine artist, he’s followed in the footsteps of his heroes and mentors--Frank Kozik, Coop, Tara McPherson and many others--building an instantly recognizable stylistic empire.

Informed by everything from art nouveau to ukiyo-e woodblock printing, from the full-throttle art of SoCal’s “kustom” car culture to the dynamism and self-assured lines of comics, Ewing’s work fuses his own creative explorations of perspective, color and space with classic, beloved imagery from rebellious American youth culture: hot punk girls, totally rad skulls, and fields of color aflame. In this way, his work embraces a particular playful naďveté, which he then continues to champion even as his style refines itself and as his technique develops. Ewing reminds us we never have to give up the imagery that fired our imaginations as teenagers; his own success is a signifier for how dearly we hold our own trappings of rebellion, and how they can become a vehicle through which one can mature. With a roster of clients ranging from Metallica and the Warped Tour, to The Strokes and Death Cab For Cutie, and even The New Yorker and a number of advertising agencies, Ewing’s resume is a testament to what we love most about music, art, the allure of drama, lust, danger and darkness.

With his first monograph, “Don’t Hold Your Breath: The Art Of Brian Ewing,” which publisher Dark Horse allowed him to design himself, the reader can see the progression and maturation of his imagery, from power-packed and densely composed rock posters to the nuanced, deceptively simple and subversive works of more recent vintage. What’s next? Only Ewing knows, but no matter what, it will be unmistakably his.

BRIAN EWING BIO
Born on January 12th, in La Mesa, CA
Lives and works in Columbus, OH

Education
1988-1992, The Milwaukee High School Of The Arts
High School diploma with a focus on Fine Art
1992-1993 The American Academy of Art Chicago, IL
Illustration
1994-1995 The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Fine Art

Solo Exhibitions:
2013

Rivet Gallery
"HORROR BUSINESS"
November 2nd - November 31st, 2013

2010

Mini exhibit at Floyd’s
Floyd’s 99
Minneapolis, MN
December 11th- December 18th, 2010

Mini exhibit at Rush Mor
Rush Mor Records
Milwaukee, WI
December 14th- December 21st, 2010

Mini exhibit at Rotofugi
Rotofugi Gallery
Chicago, IL
December 15th- December 20th, 2010

2008

Solo Show
The Roxy
Los Angeles, CA
April 7th, 2008

2005

TURN ME ON DEAD MAN
Solo Show
Oblong Box Gallery
San Diego, CA
September 24th –31st, 2005

GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2013

"Ohio You Rawk"
Group Show
Rivet Gallery
Columbus, OH
February 2nd - March 10th, 2013

2012

Tiny Trifecta
Group Show
The Cotton Candy Machine
Brooklyn, NY
July 7th - August 5th, 2012

The Royal Couple
Group Show
Get Up Gallery
Las Vegas, NV
January 6th 2012 - March 6th 2012

Print This
Group Show
MF Gallery Genova
Genova, Italy
January 14th, 2012 - February 18th, 2012

2011

Art of Musical Maintenance VIII
Group Show
Goodfoot Gallery
Portland, OR
December 1st, 2011 - January 24th, 2012

Tiki Highway
Group Show
Don The Beach Comber
Huntington Beach, CA
July 24th, 2011

Rock It To Me!
Group Show
The Cotton Candy Machine
Brooklyn, NY
June 3rd - July 3rd, 2011

Crazy Monster Art Show
Group Show
Toy Tokyo
New York, NY
May 6th - May 15th, 2011

Tiny Trifecta
Group Show
The Cotton Candy Machine
Brooklyn, NY
April 9th - May 1st, 2011

2010

Printer’s Proof
Group Show
Bertrand Delacroix Gallery
New York, NY
January 18, 2011 – February 19th, 2011

Art of Musical Maintenance VI
Group Show
Goodfoot Gallery
Portland, OR
December 3rd, 2009 - January 25th, 2010

Hit Like A Girl
Group Show
Pink Hobo Gallery
Minneapolis, MN
March 12th – April 1st 2010

Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny
Group Show
Warhol Museum
Pittsburgh, PA
March 27 through June 20, 2010

Group Show
Glaspur Gallery
Kansas City, MO
November 5th 2010

Buff Monster – The Monster Within
Group Show
Giant Robot 2
Los Angeles, CA
July 10th – August 4th 2010

Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny
Group Show
Rotofugi Gallery
Chicago, IL
August 27-September 12, 2010

Playboy Redux: Contemporary Artists Interpret the Iconic Playboy Bunny
Group Show
Copro Nason
Bergamot Station Arts Complex
Santa Monica, CA
December 18, 2010 – January 8, 2011

2009

Harley-Davidson presents: The Art of Rebellion NYC
Group Show
La. Venue
New York, NY
October 17, 2009

2007

Printed Matter 2
Group Show
GRNY2 Gallery
New York, NY
April 21-May 16th, 2007

PERMANENT COLLECTION:

The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame
Cincinati, OH

Hard Rock Cafe
Las Vegas, NV

The Troubadour
Los Angeles, CA

The Electric Factory
Philadelphia, PA

Emo's
Austin, TX

First Avenue
Minneapolis, MN

The Roxy
Los Angeles, CA

Atticus
Los Angeles, CA

LECTURES:

2012

CCAD Lecture
Columbus College of Art and Deign
Illustration Dept.
Columbus, OH
March 12, 2012

2010

SVA Lecture
The School of Visual Arts
Illustration Dept.
New York, NY
February 17th 2010

KCAI Lecture
The Kansas City Art Institute Art Space.
Illustration Dept.
Kansas City, MO
November 3, 2010

AAA Lecture
The American Academy of Art
Illustration Dept.
Chicago, IL
December 16th, 2010

SELECTIVE CLIENT LIST:
AMC
THE WALKING DEAD
DC SNOWBOARDS
EA GAMES
AT&T
DC COMICS
HARPER COLLINS
MARVEL COMICS
SPIN
THE NEW YORKER
SAMSUNG
SPRINT
FEARNET.COM
EMI
BYO RECORDS
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
CHANNEL 4 CREATIVE
PLAYBOY
ATTICUS
KIA
4 FINI
MYSPACE
KIA MOTORS
ACTIVISION
GUITAR HERO
RED BULL
SKIN & INK
HUSTLER
GUITAR WORLD
ROYAL FLUSH
EVIL INK
DRAVEN SHOES
VAGRANT RECORDS
CLEAR CHANNEL
DRAGON CLOTHING
GOLDENVOICE
THE TROUBADOUR
IMAGE COMICS


BIBLIOGRAPHY:
This will take a few weeks to compile
2010
Don't Hold Your Breath: Nothing New From Brian Ewing
Dark Horse
Miwaukie, OR


PUBLICATIONS/ REVIEWS

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PUBLIC APPEARANCES