Biography of Oscar Tuazon
Seeing Oscar Tuazon's work is like being hit by a brick wall. Concrete, steel, and raw wooden beams are the stuff of his DIY installations-come-sculptures, playfully dubbed "outlaw architecture" by the artist. A disciple of extreme performance artist turned architect Vito Acconci, Tuazon's roughly hewn constructions have an improvised feel to them, a distinct robustness and muscularity, bursting out of the frames of the exhibition space they occupy. They seem to reflect the uncompromising stance of Seattle-born Tuazon himself, self-tattooed and of the Nirvana-generation of mosh pits and grunge. His industrial pieces have an immediate impact, both visually and spatially, as the artist has stated: "the effect of my work is mostly physical".
Born in 1975, Oscar Tuazon has exhibited internationally, having solo shows at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, Institute of Contemporary Art, London, Ludwig Museum, Cologne, and Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin. His work is held in many public collections including Centre Pompidou, Paris, Saatchi Gallery Collection, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Migros Museum of Contemporary Art, Zurich. Tuazon lives and works in Los Angeles.