Xian Studios.net - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Xian Studios is the name of my company, "Xian" being an abbreviation of my name, Christian. Having had a father who's an artist, printmaker and framer, I've always been somewhat of an artist myself. I had my first success in High School when I won a Christmas card contest and the prize was presenting the original piece to President Bush Sr. in the Oval Office. Design is something I've always wanted to do and it is ever present in anything I work at. Photography is something I picked up during school as a hobby, then incredibly developed it into a trade.
I currently live in Austin, Texas. I was born in Australia but moved to the U.S. when I was a teenager. I have moved all around the states and have traveled the world, but I now call Austin my home. As far as careers go, I've been an air traffic controller in the army and a network engineer, after which I returned to school and graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Communication Design. I have since worked for several companies as both a designer and photographer in addition to freelancing in various forms of media ranging from magazines, websites and advertising. You can view my website at www.xianstudios.net Thanks for visiting!

My Interests

Music, design, photography and art. The people below are my favourite artists. They are also my inspiration for a lot of things. ART SHOULD SHOCK & QUESTION. Check them out and expand your horizons: Banksy. This guy is phenomenal and no one knows who he is.

Hans Bellmer. My favourite surrealist.

David Lachapelle. One of the world's best celebrity photographers. His colour use is amazing. (*Myspace wont let me link his site through it.)

Joel-Peter Witkin. An amazing photographer with a most vivid imagination. (NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART THOUGH!)

Cam De Leon, primary artist for Tool.

Lori Earley. Her portraits are beautiful.

Michael Hussar. My favourite painter who's not dead.

Tara McPherson. Great Illustrator and super nice gal. I own several of her prints.

Beksinski, a modern Realist. His work is hauntingly beautiful.

Peter Saville. Some of the coolest album covers ever are his designs.

Vaughan Oliver, another amazing designer.

Some other favourite artists of mine are Francis Bacon, Max Ernst, H.R. Giger and Mark Rothko.

I'd like to meet:

The artists to the left... Also Niki Gudex. She's a graphic designer, pro mountain biker, snowboarder and model who's from Australia. My dream girl.

Music:

Tool (no one's like them), A Perfect Circle, Clutch, Interpol, The Editors, Silversun Pickups (probably the best new album I've heard), Radiohead, Team Sleep, Deftones, Massive Attack, Esthero, Olive, ETBTG, NIN, Beth Orton, Imogen Heap, Curve, Lush, Hooverphonic, The Smiths, Peter Murphy, Portishead, The Sundays, Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Doves, Seb Fontaine, Sasha, Danny Howels, Lance Cashion, Sander Kleinenberg, Deep Dish, 80's alternative, I could go on for ever (my iPod is full).

Movies:

Blade Runner (my all time favourite), Hellraiser 1 & 2 (Clive Barker is so evil), Alien-Aliens (thank god for H.R. Giger), Mad Max 1 & 2 (best Aussie films ever made), Trainspotting (bloody brilliant!), The Rules of Attraction, Boogie Nights (E.L.O. was the perfect choice for the final scene), Fight Club, Wedding Crashers, Anchorman, Old School (gotta love them), The Fountain (amazing visually), The 40 Year Old Virgin (Steve Carrel is a comic great), Children of Men had amazing cinematography, Knocked Up, anything by Wes Anderson (great local director), 5th Element, Se7en (so dark, so great), anything written by Charlie Kaufman or directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine...).

Television:

Dexter, The Office (both domestic and Pommy versions), Nip Tuck (this show should be on HBO), Flight of the Conchords, Rome (the ultimate Drama), Family Guy (Brian rocks), Da Ali G Show, The Young Ones (an all time favourite), Entourage (gotta love it). Discovery HD Theater I can leave on all day.

Books:

The Damnation Game (or any Clive Barker book). Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (and most of Phillip K. Dick)

Heroes:

My parents for raising me so balanced.Adam Jones from Tool, there's nothing he can't do well.