Tyler Jordan is a critically acclaimed illustrator who has brought a keen sense of style to a very broad range of subjects. His illustrations involve everything from microcosmic civilizations to seascapes and impressionistic Italy. Tyler’s education includes International Baccalaureate Art studies in high school, studying oil painting under wildlife painter Helen Philips, and learning large-scale mural painting under Salvador Torres – Chicano Park.

Tyler has produced package illustrations for cafes, snowboards and surfboards, eyewear companies, retail stores, and television backdrops. His mural works have been commissioned by the Coronado Historical Museum. Other mural work was done with The San Diego Designers’ Showcase, where top interior designers worked to bring life back to neglected homes.

His work in pastels earned him a place in the San Diego Reader’s “Best Of” in 2001, and the same work produced an invite to The San Diego Museum of Art’s Artists’ Guild. His pastels can also be found in many of San Diego’s reputable cafés.

Presently Tyler is the Art Director eVisibility; an Internet Marketing Agency. In his spare time he works freelance designing retail displays for Apple, video games for McDonald's, and illustrates t-shirts for streetwear clothing company, APB. Aside from t-shirts, he also designs national ads, post cards, and seasonal catalogs. His illustration work can be seen on album covers, concert posters, galleries, restaurants, bars, tattoos, hats, cars, food, and anything else he can find to draw on.

Awards:

Invitee: University Of Oregon Creative Writing Festival 1987
Graduated International Baccalaureate Art -Coronado High School 1993
Winner: San Diego Street Scene Annual Sidewalk Chalk Contest 1998
Winner: “Best of” San Diego Reader Coffee House Art 2,001

Invitee: San Diego Museum of Art's Artists' Guild 2,002

Clients:

Articles:

SDMUSICMATTERS
http://www.sdmusicmatters.com
Article by Lindsay Oconnor

We still haven’t framed the “Phoenix” chalk drawing that Tyler Jordan of Devices created for us as a gift. It still sits against a blue wall, warping in shape, fading with age. But the four foot by two foot drawing is of amazing beauty and wonder, mostly due to the fact that the rising hellish phoenix is made of dusts of chalk. The phoenix screams and seethes with a fury and vitality I’ve never seen born of chalk. And it’s scary as hell. The black bird rises from a torrent of flames with monsoons of hellions flailing about the wings of the beast as it rises from ash and smoke. It is alive on this board, motionless but alive. We’ve talked a lot about getting this damn thing framed. We even painted one of the walls in the office blue to match the blue chalk accents on the piece. But still it sits, unconfined by a cheap frame. Despite the delicateness of the chalk, the image is too resounding, too resilient to be maintained by mere glass or plastic. It is as if its fragility is its greatest strength: the orange, red, black and blue chalk coalesces into a furious vision. The totality of this is the crux of Tyler Jordan’s artwork -silent yet triumphant and vibrantly smooth announcements of esoteric art.
“I’m sorry I’m a little late, I hope I didn’t screw anything up.” The mo-hawked man cooed with jarring politeness. Jordan, also a guitar player in the progressive and prophetic local San Diego rock band Devices, came to the SDMM office on time and ready to create. It was I who royally screwed this one up, having completely forgotten to prepare questions - I was most excited to see the man create in front of me almost out of selfish envy. Being unable to commandeer even a damn etch-a sketch, the idea of creating with chalk was indeed a foreign endeavor and something I just had to see.

“I don’t really have an idea of what I want to do here...so I’m just going to start and see what happens.”
Chalk dust circled around him like a vulture as he crouched on his knees. His hands were feverishly moving in hyper speed with tiny pieces of chalk wedged in between his fingers. It looked very primal, very visceral. But such are the subjects of Jordan’s imagery: beautiful, vibrant and instinctive expressions of natural colors and shapes . Jordan’s art resonates to the very core of what makes you a human. The art is emotional but not boisterously so. It expresses the depth of the human spirit but is a simple exploration of human life and the perception of it there in.
“I guess the more you observe, the more you see how things work in life, the more of an artist you are, and the more you can put into your art.” Jordan is a formally trained artist which has enabled him to enhance the aesthetic qualities of his various mediums. “There are so many important parts to what someone like me does. The way shadow and light work together...almost like the border between non-movement and movement. All of those things really come into play. And the formal training really helped me see all of this. “
Tyler’s illustrations are often representations of mythical proportions. The phoenix, for example, exposes Jordan’s ability to ascertain a level of higher art in which he moves beyond traditional themes. However the seemingly high conceptual elements of Jordan’s artwork in fact stem from a pretty simple craftman’s viewpoint. “I was at a point where I was really fascinated with Egyptian mythology and the stories....but I think what most interested me were the colors. They were intense but natural. It was not really by their doing...it was all geographical. Just with the color of the sands. And that’s when I started getting into pastels, because pastels help to reconstruct that same color and the shapes. But it’s really all about your eye and that comes naturally and what inspires you.”
So what inspired the Phoenix drawing?
“Well, it’s a gift for you guys...you should frame it.”
Tyler Jordan’s critical acclaim has come at a tour de force, and rightfully so. His graphic art, oil paint, and chalk illustrations have indeed veered into a whole new level of artisanship. Jordan’s art thrives where reality and illusion blur with the primal tones of a very simple human desire - the desire to express. Jordan’s natural talent has been honed and refined by his numerous creative and commercial endeavors which enable him to explore an array of themes and visual stimuli. Studying under renowned wildlife painter Helen Phillips and mural maestro Salvador Torres, Jordan has emerged as a versatile artist.
“I started making money and doing graphic design when I was in high school. I dove right into it when I was about 22, 23 and decided that this is all I want to do.”
I guess you have to do that to really hone your craft though.
“Right. But it can be hard to make a living. Really, really hard. ”
But perhaps not too hard for Jordan, specifically. Because of his unique and jarringly profound art, Jordan’s commercial work has been featured by a plethora of well known and profitable companies such as Apple, CS Surfboards, Seedless Clothing, Emerald City and artists ranging from Coolio to Sprung Monkey to his own bands Ir and Devices. However beyond the commercial aspects of his experience, Jordan’s artwork stems from the inherent need to express a very personal point of view onto a very public platform. “I don’t mind creating for companies or things like that. The creation of the art is for me. It’s my meditation. It’s what I love to do. The process of doing the art is for me. After that, it’s for everyone else. Usually I’m inspired by things from everyday life like a conversation or something I will read. I just finished a piece inspired by Nostradomas and his prophecy about California dropping off into the ocean. I began thinking how it is possible that we can reverse prophecies. That we can consciously change our future. It inspired me.”
It was a bit too quiet in the now empty SDMM office as Jordan continued to fervidly scrawl chalk into shapes and shadows. “Let’s put on some music, doesn’t matter what it is.” Jordan suggested while still crouched on the floor. The phoenix began to take shape; it’s black wings spread from orange plumes of flames and faded into the black chalk framing the image. Having put on some Pantera, I noticed that Jordan worked faster, almost in synchronicity with the music. Music as an audio art medium has long been intertwined with the visual representations of it. Jordan’s local band Devices is indeed the musical manifestation of much of the depth in his artwork. “Devices and my art stand for somewhat of the same thing: truth, opening up your eyes and awakening to things around you, stop believing everything you hear. But the physical act of playing a show....you can’t compare that to anything. It’s so much heavier than anything I’m involved in. There’s just so much energy because you’re interacting with others. Where as art is more of a personal thing. When you’re expressing yourself in a band and giving it to a crowd and having them accept it....there’ s just so much energy it’s just unbelievable.”
Now that the office was empty, I have to admit I felt like a big weirdo watching Jordan on his hands and knees in the throes of the creative process. Like watching a band on stage or a performer embellishing theatrics, the process of expression is a deeply personal endeavor. The ability to watch it unfurl in its very fresh and raw instance can be exposing for both the performer and the audience. But Tyler Jordan is a performer. He’s a musician and a man who’s art has been on display in very public ventures. So it comes as no surprise that he pretty much didn’t give a damn that I was taking photos of him while he was drawing and pacing back and forth with excited anticipation. “I was doing some artwork for this cafe called Caffe Calabria. They were still getting everything together for the grand opening. But part of the way to get people interested in its opening was to have all the windows opened and to have me sit outside and to create all the artwork while people walked by. I did a street chalk competition a couple years ago....I really hurt myself though. All the pros had knee pads and hand protection. I ripped up my knees and hands...I bled into the art....which is kinda poetic. I’ve always enjoyed drawing. It doesn’t matter if people are watching. “
Though Jordan’s artwork stands as some of the most inspirational and intriguing art work in San Diego, the ever present stigma of “underground art” vs. “high end art” continues to separate the SD community. “Everyday that separation affects me. I ‘m fairly young and I guess my art is pretty underground. If you see what I do, it’s something that people my age and in my ‘scene’ are into. The conservative art is where the money is. That’s the truth of the matter.”
Is that a goal of yours? To make money one day.
“I’ll never stop doing what I’m doing. I think it’s important to stick to your roots. To remain on a cutting edge or a little bit risky. It inspires conversation. That’s the important thing about it. It connects people.”
Jordan springs from the floor with a triumphant sigh. “All done!”. The phoenix chalk drawing vibrantly illuminated with power and beauty, with humble and silent grace.
“It’ll fade over time, so be sure to frame it or hang it or something.”
“Definitely”, I said as the evening drew to a close.
And eventually we will frame it I’m sure. And besides, art is immortal, its conception is timeless and lives on even if only in the memories of those who had the fortune of bearing witness to its birth. Art is the antithesis to mortality, it is ever lasting - even if it is created from the faded delicacies of chalk.

San Diego Reader “Best Of issue, 2001

”http://www.sdreader.com/php/bestshow.php3?year=2001&id=200

BEST COFFEE HOUSE MENU CHALK ART
Tyler Jordan at Caffe Calabria 3933 30th Street,North Park619-683-7787 Tyler Jordan, who works behind the bar, does it all, from the menu to Italian Riviera and Romanesque scenes on the wall. He did those in two furious weeks, between serving up the black stuff and sharing deep philosophical thoughts with customers. "Two weeks was plenty," he says. "The menus and art I did for the previous place I worked at [Zanzibar] had to be done overnight." The bonus is that people notice his stuff. He gets jobs. T-shirt art, CD covers for rap artists (Coolio) and bands (Lot 13). So why continue serving coffee at Calabria? "I like the atmosphere here. You're always surrounded by creative people."

Squid Magazine: An Underwater Source for Arts and Entertainment Vol.1
http://www.squidmag.com <out of business now>
Featured Artist: Tyler Jordan

In the early 1990's a new sort of culture began emerging in San Diego. Because of generally perfect weather, we tend to enjoy more hours outdoors than anywhere else in the world. Events that require good weather are based here. Even malls are open air to take advantage of the picturesque seasons. Because of this, combined with the popularity of coffee and European-styled cafes, San Diego has an underground street culture that began to revolve itself around all-hours comfortable coffee shops. Places like Zanzibar, Gashaus, and Cafe Crema were staying open until 4 am creating an alcohol restricted zone with later than bar hours. Most of these places, which started as the only things that kids under 21 could do in the city, late night, without the cops breaking it up, quickly became trend setting hangouts or alternative study halls for the broke college student. Still, each one has a feel that makes people want to hang out there longer than it takes to quickly get your fix and go. Most of them have those feels created by Tyler Jordan. Tyler does the chalkboards that are different. If you've ever been interested in a menu at Zanzibar, Cafe 976, Cafe Crema, Cafe 1134, The Zone Cafe, Symphony Towers, Stretch's Cafe or Caffe Calabria, Tyler did them. But someone, who at first glance, looks like a niche artist spawned by a need for non corporate looking coffee environments, is also an accomplished animator and top level graphic designer/web developer with clients like Coolio, multi-platinum music producer Wino, SMP Clothing, Emerald City Surf N' Sport, D'Ziner Eyez, Sauritch Surfboards, A Cut Above Hair Salon, CS Surfboards, and Buttabeats Productions.
His honors in writing go back to middle school where he won his first writing contest at age 13. The story was based on a surfer's vision of his life on the brink of death in a fatal surfing accident. The judges at The University of Oregon were shocked at his depth and severity of thinking at such an early age. Severity indeed. If you'll look at the picture directly below this article (my camera gives a poor representation) it is a waterway reminiscent of Amsterdam. The sky is a furious striating mixture of indigo and sky blue, etched angrily with the softest violet. Harmony among aggressive ordered chaos, smoothed to a polish. In chalk. He entered a chalk contest on the street in the Gaslamp. Some big thing they do every year. His chalk technique is meditative destruction, because the finest surface for chalk is the most unforgiving for the hand that seeks to intensely rub...blurring the colors. Applied to the sidewalk surface of the Gaslamp, his picture of a pyramid, in the midst of a sweltering Egyptian desert, DNA column rocketing from the pyramid's apex... blood in the chalk desert as his hands disintegrate into a bloody pulp under the pressure, again causes startled murmurs among the judges, and he keeps going. The winner was a drawing of the downtown skyline. Corporate horizons. The future does seem bleak at times. At least he came in second for originality. His current project is an animated short called "The Conduit™". It is a story of a being on the line between madness and genius. At the furthest point forward in consciousness, alone and unsettled, his existence is to be the channel between the thoughts of God and the minds of men, and his trial to complete his destiny. Ontogeny recapitulates Phylogeny, or As Above, So Below. The story draws out to reveal a world on the brink of a familiar one. A microcosmic representation that is applicable to current times and social situations. Seeing the intensity of his artistic vision, I am anxiously looking forward to this as the next frontier from this powerful and still unfolding artist.
article by Jenner O'Ryan

Revolt In Style: October 2,001
“Art In Real Terms” by Carina Castelli

He gets it, he gets it! “It”, being the grand picture, or Master Plan. Honestly, days, even months, go by where I wonder if anyone else does. Who am I talking about? Tyler Jordan. What am I talking about? Artistic skills that go beyond any means of explanation and illustrate life in real terms. Why? Because he’s so cool, and every facet about him screams of a creative genius who does give a shit. Tyler uses his art as a means of positive expression, and produces a feeling of freedom with his audience that is difficult to achieve without being provoked.
As an award winning writer, phenomenal chalk artist, advanced graphic designer, and musician, Jordan dons many creative hats. The band “ir” (spanish: to go, English: a listening device) is his outlet when playing rhythm guitar. Jordan is accompanied by Asher Angel, singer and lead guitar, Gusto on bass, Jeremy Brown on drums, Dr. Alan Lechusza on woodwinds, and Tom Anesse on didgereedoo. Ir has just released a four song EP entitled, Hunting Dragons. It is available at stores now or online at http://www.irring.com. I’d describe it as jazzy, hard rock with a deep-bass rhythm. From beginning to end, you feel like you’re in an action-adventure movie with climaxes and long moments of suspense. When it’s over, play it again. “Puff, Puff, Pass” my friend. Listen and pass it on, because it is too good not to share. Or, better yet, check them out live at Blind Melons on Garnet Ave. October 11th. Pssst…hang around the show for the band’s personal invite to the after party at a private location, but you didn’t hear that from me.
Now, back to the Master Plan I referred to in the beginning. One observation of Tyler Jordan’s artwork and you’ll get “it” too. He sees things in their purest state, and somehow represents these images through chalk paintings that are as elaborate and intricate as a Van Gogh oil on canvas. His work has been recognized and captured by some of the greats: SMP Clothing, American Pig Brand Clothing, Linux Prophet, Coolio, Multi-Platinum Record Producer, Wino, Metamorph Creations, Buttabeats Productions, and Sauritch Surfboards. Not to mention, (but I will), locally, you can find his work hanging in the most popular Cafes in San Diego: Caffe Calabria, Zanzibar, Café Crema, Café 976, Café 1134, Thrusters in P.B. (it’s a bar, but hey, beer is coffee for some people), Symphony Towers, and The Zone to name a few.
You have to see it to believe it. With that, I leave you with his web address for tour dates and art shows: http://www.tylerjordan.info

ir at 'Canes 2003

Telepathy, ants, and commercialism. A look into the creative mind of artist, writer, and musician Tyler Jordan.

Let’s say for a moment that our society communicates telepathically. Next, imagine that you are the one soul responsible for all communications within our society. Acting as the soul operator for all thoughts, you must maintain connections between everyone at all times. Sound like a task too large for just one person? Welcome to the world of The Conduit, a short story written by an artist named Tyler Jordan.
“It all started with ants,” Tyler tells me of the inspiration for this strange culture of little green voiceless creatures. “I was sitting out on a stump in front of a friends house one day when I noticed the largest freeway network of ants I’d ever seen. I was amazed by the beauty of all these ants commuting and working together. As I followed the freeway toward me my mouth dropped open in horror when I realized my feet were resting on it and I’d just killed hundreds of them. The inspirational point came when the guilt and sadness I felt for destroying this beautiful ant freeway quickly drifted away as I thought of the mundane things I had to do that day.”

So deep down you care for ants? “It’s not like that, I mean I guess I do, but it’s more about the moment than anything else. In The Conduit every soul has their life-long duty. One they must carry out without choice. We see tragic things like hundreds of human friends getting squashed by a giant and I’ll guarantee that moment - that visual - will change us forever. These creatures must carry on. There is no looking back, no born-again, no shrines erected.”

So you could say the characters in The Conduit live like ants? “Exactly. Even in size. They’re all just workers, but in this story they work without choice at a job they didn’t ask for. They are enslaved by a higher power they fear and don’t understand. They think this higher power is god, which brings the story closer to our society. The Conduit is the main character and the link from the supposed gods and lesser men.”

He talks to god? “No, there is no speech, only thinking.”

Oh yeah. So what does one think to god?
“Well he’s able to use this communication with this god idea to learn more about how they’ve set up their culture and how all the creatures fit in. This same information can be used to figure out how to break the mold. You have to understand that it may or may not be god that he’s thinking to. He usually isn’t thinking to others so much. It’s quite the opposite. He’s bombarded every day with so many thoughts from so many souls that he tries impossibly to avoid thinking. All I can say is that he finds ways to cheat the system. The story is actually about a mandatory obstacle course these souls must run once during their lives that’s manifested in their minds. This course decides their fate. He uses his ability to communicate with both sides to hopefully manipulate the system they live in. To set them free.”

The higher power is in control of their culture, but they are in control of their fate? “Yes, unfortunately, but they really don’t know it.”

What about our culture here on Earth? “Perhaps, maybe that’s why our religion in America is Starbucks and Reality TV.”

What type of art have you been doing lately? "A lot of poster art for concerts. Mainly for my band Devices, but I’ve been working on album art and logos for other bands as well. Today I’ll be doing some concept art for a new video game for the PS2. I do a lot of character and weapon design which is easily translated by 3D modelers. Then I do the texture mapping, which is a lot like creating wall paper to fit around the models to bring them to life."

You were saying you do a lot of political cartoons on t-shirts for the clothing company APB. (American Pig Brand) What is your inspiration, and can you tell us a little about the company? “APB is a streetwear clothing company in San Diego. It’s themes are based loosely on tongue–in-cheek humor regarding consumerism and the excesses of American lifestyle compared to other cultures. The inspiration for the art and the company lies in 24 Hr fast food drive thru’s, SUV’s, Palm Pilots, cell phones, and triple cheeseburgers with bacon and chili combos, but there’s more to it than that. There’s some political satire as well."

I guess I’m the enemy since I had Taco Bell today. "I’m not saying that, but I’m sure your body will some day. Actually I’m guilty of excess too. I’m not saying I’m not. It’s one sure way to know about it."

I ask this of everyone. What would you be doing if you weren’t in your profession? "I’d probably be dead because that’s just about the only thing I can do. If I was alive I’m sure I’d either be homeless or working some dead-end job. I can’t hold on to money."

I see you’ve won awards for your pastel art. Are pastel chalks your medium of choice? "For a while there they were. I started doing pastel illustrations for cafes and restaurants and the jobs just started coming in. I think I’m going to get back into painting now since it’s easier for people to hang in their homes. Everyone worries about chalk smearing or getting all over the place, plus it’s a pain in the ass to ship. My whole attraction to pastels was in the fact that they are fragile, just like us. Also, when drawing pastel illustrations for restaurants, they’re usually temporary. They have a birth, a life, and a death. I’ve always loved this about the art I do for cafes; one day it’s there, one day it’s not. Not everyone agrees though. I’ve heard so many people tell me they would’ve paid the café double to take them home so that’s pretty cool.”

Tyler explains his band Devices as a four-piece hard rock band with songs about the importance of collectively looking beyond our cultural shackles for survival. Is this the basis for most of your work? “No, but it’s the most important part of our lives. It relates to every aspect of our existence. On a sociological, spiritual, and personal level so the only way we’ll endure as a civilization is through learning to think for ourselves and paying less attention to what ads and commercials tell us are important. It will drive us over the edge in ways I can’t even imagine. It’s nothing new, but I see more and more people waking up every day. I’d rather not be a spokesman, more like the guy who illustrates the ideas on the chalkboard."

Well, we’ll always have to deal with commercialism so I guess we’re doomed. I see you’re anti-media? Not really. "We could be using it more wisely though. I grew up on TV just like most of my friends did. It’s just a part of growing up for our generation to start rebelling against it."

Do you incorporate the same writing style with the music as with your stories? "Actually, I don’t write any of the lyrics for the band. That’s Asher’s job. He’s the lead singer. I’ve always believed that he comes across with more power as a front man when it’s coming from his heart. I play guitar and rock out."

What do you see in your future? "That’s one question I can’t answer. I only know my purpose is to create art for the world. This is the one certainty. Where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing I will never know. My life has never been normal or predictable. I could tell you some pretty crazy stories!"

Kind of like The Conduit? “Yeah, [laughs] kind of.”

Interview by Jason Shard

The Conduit

WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY

My Heart Grenade design was featured on a belt buckle for Buckle Down in Women's Wear Daily at MAGIC - The giant Clothing Convention in Las Vegas in 2005.

URB MAGAZINE JULY, 2003

Superstar DJs Dieselboy and James Zabiela wearing some APB gear. James is wearing my Sinister Pig Tshirt.

Sinister Pig

YRB NYC JUNE 2003

A national Ad I designed showing a large portion of the APB 2003 Catalog and lifestyle shots.