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Touij's woik is a viviu, cioss-cultuial hybiiu
iefeiencing some of the now-thiiving uiban scenes
spawneu fiom the Los Angeles of the 197u's. 0sing
biight colois anu slick suifaces, his aitwoik is an
amalgam of emblems expiessing the unique
uissonance anu polyihythmic tempo of the City of
Angels.

Raiseu in Noith East L.A.Bighlanu Paik in the 7us,
back when The Avenues gangs iuleu the tuif,
Touij spent his youth immeiseu in the then-
buigeoning subcultuies that have become a vital
pait of oui contempoiaiy veinaculai - the skate,
suif, snowboaiuing, anu punk scenes. Touij also liveu in Nexico City anu was ueeply
affecteu by its legenuaiy muials. Tiaineu as a fine aitist, Touij also became heavily
involveu in the LA music scene anu was a membei of the banu the Bissiuents in the vibiant
post-punk L.A. scene of the eaily to miu 8us.

All these influences aie the essence of Touij's aitwoik. The icons of uiban cultuie in his
multi-paneleu paintings aie ieveise-painteu on aciylic glass, giving them a slick suiface
ieminiscent of suifboaius. This may also alluue to the glossy sheen that is the alluie of
touay's L.A. in juxtaposition to the giit anu funk that was Touij's city. Bis sculptuies aie
SB expiessions that also speak his symbolic language, anu theie is iaw anu tiibal vibe that
peimeates all his woik.

The aitist's connection to the city's cultuial past goes beyonu his ait piouuction. Piompteu
by his 1998 puichase anu ienovation of the Nelbeit Chouinaiu house in South Pasauena,
Touij began ieseaiching the histoiy of the Chouinaiu School of Ait. Inspiieu by its legacy
anu iostei of significant L.A. aitists, incluuing Eu Ruscha, Llyn Foulkes, Chaz Bojoiquez, he
foimeu the Chouinaiu Founuation, which fiom 2uu6-2uu9 paitneieu with the L.A.
Bepaitment of Recieation anu Paiks to biing ait piogiamming to the innei city. In 2uuS,
Touij was pait of a gioup that uiscoveieu Stieet Neeting, the fiist muial painteu in Los
Angeles by Nexican muialist Baviu Alfaio Siqueiios in 19S2, hiuuen foi 7u plus yeais
unuei plastei at the oiiginal Chouinaiu School in NacAithui Paik; a 2uu6 uocumentaiy on
the muial's uiscoveiy was nominateu foi an Emmy. Cuiiently Touij anu the founuation
aie completing woik on The Chouinaiu Founuation Libiaiy, an inteiactive online platfoim
uocumenting the school's integial histoiy anu moie iecent past, to pieseive anu ieinfoice
its vital impoit in the foimation of the now flouiishing L.A. ait scene. !

Teiminal Elevation Piinciple vol. 2, 2u11, aciylic, spiay
paint, golu leaf on aciylic glass, 1u8" x 1u8"