COMPUTER ARTIST
STEVE LYONS By Denis Faye Computer- based illustrator Steve Lyons lives in Fairfax, a little town north of San Francisco well known in the Bay Area as a last bastion for the fading flower children of the ‘60s. The whole town smells of incense, art and social activism are actives of choice, and beads and Birkenstocks proliferate.
At 37, this former airbrush artist has managed to become one of the country’s top digital artist, with a client list that includes Apple, Adobe, and Macworld. But he’s also done work for nonprofit groups like Greeenpeace and the recent San Francisco AIDS Bikathon.
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Although he has traded in the comfortable footwear and facial hair for a black turtleneck and a wellcoifed ponytail, Lyons is no exception to the rule.
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A newsletter about today’s hottest design professionals. Volume 1 Number 1 January 1, 2015
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DESIGNER And he’s keenly aware that his Macintosh 840 AV isn’t the most politically correct instrument of expression to come down the pike. “It’s true -- it is a toxic process to create the computer itself, and you’re using a lot of electricity,” admits Lyons. “At the same time, a lot of people involved in social movements develop their communications materials using desktop publishing. It has actually allowed a lot of advanced capabilities for nonprofit groups that
couldn’t even produce a flyer. So in that way, I think the computer is OK.... It’s a love/hate thing for me.”
In all truth, a look at Lyons’ history reveals a relationship with computers that went from ambivalence to love, with few signs of hate. A native of Massachusetts, he received his B.F.A. in Printmaking from the University of New Hampshire. Wanting to “make a living drawing, not waiting tables,” Lyons went
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to Los Angeles and soon found his airbrush skills in demand at publications like The Los Angeles Times and The Los Angeles Weekly.. After three years of the fast-paced LA lifestyle, Lyons packed his bags and moved up the coast to mellower San Francisco. That was really interesting, but it was so primitive. Continued on page 12
modern technology owes ecology an apology.