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Tempt One
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Tempt One
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Tony Quan (1968/69 – September 1, 2023), better known by the tag name Tempt One or Tempt1, was an American graffiti artist who began painting graffiti in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.[1]

Key Information

Style

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Tempt's style combined the city's local cholo graffiti culture with New York's hip-hop lettering to create a unique "Los Angeles" style.

Illness and death

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In 2003, Tempt was diagnosed with the degenerative nerve disorder ALS.[2] Fully paralyzed except for his eyes, he was able to use the EyeWriter to continue his art.[3]

Tempt died on September 1, 2023, at the age of 54.[4]

References

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Tempt One

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Tony Quan (c. 1969 – September 1, 2023), better known by his tag name Tempt One, was an influential American graffiti artist based in who pioneered a distinctive handstyle blending the precision of Chinese calligraphic lines with the bold, serif-influenced forms of classic West Coast . Active since the early as a member of tagging crews such as STN, K2S, 213K, and FB, Quan's work helped define the underground scene in , where he also served as a in punk bands like The Looters and created for music projects including Ollin's album Sons of the Shaking Earth. In 2003, Quan was diagnosed with (ALS), a progressive that left him fully paralyzed over the following years, rendering him unable to speak, eat, breathe independently, or physically create . Despite his condition, he continued to innovate and inspire through collaborations, including curating art exhibitions, speaking at the , and publishing BigTime Graffiti magazine, which documented global street and . A landmark achievement came in 2010 when Quan partnered with Not Impossible Labs, the Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group to develop the Eyewriter, a low-cost, open-source eye-tracking device built from everyday materials like a , LED lights, and , enabling him to draw murals and tags using only his eye movements and blinks. This technology, first demonstrated in a 2011 live mural projection in , not only restored Quan's ability to produce —described by him as "taking a breath after being held underwater for five minutes"—but also sparked the Not Impossible movement to make assistive innovations accessible worldwide. His resilience was captured in the 2013 Getting Up: The Tempt One Story, directed by Caskey Ebeling, which chronicled his battle with and artistic comeback. Quan's later works included a 2011 3D collaboration with artists like , Eyeone, Defer, Prime, and Slick, exhibited at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and partnerships with figures such as and Chaz Bojórquez. After two decades fighting , he passed away on September 1, 2023, at age 54, leaving a legacy as a symbol of perseverance in the and communities.

Early Life

Childhood and Upbringing

Tony Quan was born in 1969 in , to parents of Chinese and heritage. This mixed ethnic background placed him within a unique intersection of Asian American and communities, fostering early exposure to diverse cultural traditions, including elements of from his paternal side and the bold aesthetics of Mexican-American visual expressions. Growing up on the Eastside of during the 1970s and early 1980s, Quan navigated a predominantly working-class, Latino-majority neighborhood characterized by socioeconomic challenges such as , limited economic opportunities, and vibrant community resilience. The area was a hotbed of multicultural influences, with a strong presence alongside growing Asian immigrant populations, shaping his worldview through everyday encounters with bilingualism, street festivals, and hybrid social dynamics. This environment immersed him in the rising tide of urban culture, including the influx of hip-hop elements like and music that arrived on the West Coast in the late 1970s, blending with local and traditions to create a dynamic street aesthetic. During his , Quan's interests gravitated toward and sketching as personal hobbies, often inspired by the visual stimuli of his surroundings, though specific involvement in programs remains undocumented in available records. These formative experiences in a neighborhood pulsing with emerging street culture laid the groundwork for his later artistic pursuits, reflecting the broader cultural shifts in where hip-hop and urban expression became avenues for youth identity and creativity amid socioeconomic pressures.

Introduction to Graffiti

Tony Quan, better known by his graffiti tag Tempt One, grew up in East Los Angeles during the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period when the city's urban environment served as a catalyst for his interest in as a means of personal and communal expression. Influenced by the migration of New York-style to the West Coast, which popularized tagging on public surfaces and emphasized bold, stylized lettering, Quan was first exposed to the culture through prominent local crews like K2S and STN, whose work he encountered on the streets of his Eastside neighborhood. In the early 1980s, Quan adopted the tag Tempt One and began his initial forays into tagging, using markers and spray paint to create simple, clean throwups on walls, streets, and freeways, often incorporating a distinctive capital "T!" and affiliations like "FB" with crews such as K2S, STN, 213K, and FB. These early activities were driven by motivations of rebellion against societal norms, self-expression in a challenging urban setting, and fostering bonds within the Eastside community, where writers shared risks and creative exchanges. The risks involved in these formative experiences were significant, as early LA taggers faced aggressive police crackdowns, including undercover operations on public transit and harsh penalties for vandalism, yet the act of "getting up" on visible surfaces like buses and river walls provided a thrilling outlet for identity and resistance in a racially tense and economically strained environment. Through involvement with K2S and STN, Quan connected with influential writers like , Skept, and Defer, whose crisp lines, color combinations, and handstyles inspired his entry into the scene and helped shape the communal spirit of LA's emerging graffiti culture.

Artistic Career

Pioneering Work in

Tony Quan, better known by his tag Tempt One, emerged as a prominent figure in the Los Angeles graffiti scene during the early , remaining active until his diagnosis with in 2003. Throughout this period, he engaged in prolific bombing, tagging walls, freeways, and overpasses across the city, contributing to the explosive growth of in . His early adoption of the Tempt One tag laid the groundwork for a career defined by bold, visible interventions in urban spaces. As a member of influential crews including STN, K2S, 213K, and FB, Tempt One played a pivotal role in shaping the distinctive "LA style" of graffiti, which integrated local writing traditions—characterized by blocky, serif lettering—with influences from New York hip-hop aesthetics, setting it apart from the intricate, illegible prevalent on the East Coast. This hybrid approach emphasized readability and cultural resonance with Los Angeles's diverse communities, particularly in the and Eastside neighborhoods where he grew up. His crew affiliations facilitated collaborative efforts that amplified the visibility of West Coast graffiti, fostering a regional identity amid the national spread of the movement. Tempt One's output included notable pieces in iconic locations, such as early bombings on freeway overpasses that marked some of the first large-scale graffiti interventions in LA's infrastructure, as well as tags on Eastside walls that captured the raw energy of the era. These works, often executed under the cover of night with crews, exemplified the risks and innovation of illegal street art while gaining underground acclaim. By the 1990s, he transitioned toward semi-legitimate opportunities, including commission work for apparel brands like Tribal Gear and Third Rail, as well as typography design for the album Sons of the Shaking Earth by the band Ollin. His growing recognition also led to features and contributions in graffiti magazines, notably working with Big Time on publications dedicated to street and urban art.

Style and Techniques

Tempt One's "LA style" was characterized by clean, readable featuring bold outlines, which distinguished it within the broader landscape. This approach harmonized the precision of Chinese calligraphic lines with the boldness of classic serif Los Angeles fonts, creating a visually striking fusion that emphasized and artistic refinement. His incorporation of Asian influences drew from his , infusing with elegant, flowing strokes that contrasted sharply against urban surfaces. Additionally, Tempt One employed vibrant colors strategically adapted to the muted tones of , enhancing the visibility and impact of his pieces on weathered walls and freeway overpasses. In terms of techniques, Tempt One adapted to different contexts, from quick tags to more elaborate compositions. His pioneering role in graffiti enabled the refinement of these techniques, setting a benchmark for precision in handstyles. Unique identifiers in his work included flowing letterforms, alongside strategic tag placements in high-visibility urban zones. Over the decades, Tempt One's style evolved significantly, beginning in the with simple monikers and basic tags that prioritized moniker repetition and crew affiliations. By the , his pieces had matured into more complex works, maintaining the core LA style while expanding its scope. This progression reflected a shift from raw, subversive expression to sophisticated artistry.

Notable Collaborations and Exhibitions

Throughout his career in the 1990s and early 2000s, Tempt One was actively involved in graffiti crews, including K2S, STN, 213K, and FB, where he contributed to collective murals and tagging efforts that defined the West Coast style. These affiliations fostered joint pieces with fellow crew members, emphasizing bold, architectural lettering that integrated urban environments. A key collaboration was with artist Relic, co-founding the graffiti magazine Big Time in 1996, one of the first publications dedicated to LA street art and culture. Through Big Time, they documented underground scenes, interviewed artists, and promoted activism within hip-hop and graffiti communities, bridging subcultural voices to wider audiences. Tempt One also undertook commissioned work for brands like , creating custom designs that infused with aesthetics and supported the commercialization of . This project highlighted his role in transitioning from walls to consumer products while maintaining cultural authenticity. As a and publisher, he organized shows showcasing works. These exhibitions often featured community-driven narratives.

Illness and Adaptation

Diagnosis and Impact of ALS

In 2003, at the age of 34, graffiti artist Tony "Tempt One" Quan was diagnosed with (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, following initial symptoms of that caused him to fall while walking. is a rare progressive that affects motor neurons in the and , leading to the gradual loss of voluntary muscle control; it has an incidence of approximately 1.5 to 3 cases per 100,000 people annually in and , and is typically fatal due to , with an average survival of 2 to 5 years after diagnosis, though some individuals live longer. For Quan, a prominent graffiti artist at the time, the diagnosis marked the beginning of a devastating decline that profoundly interrupted his creative career. The disease progressed gradually in Quan's case, beginning with weakness in his limbs and advancing to widespread muscle atrophy and paralysis over the next several years. By 2008, he had become fully paralyzed, unable to walk, use his hands, or perform basic movements, and requiring full-time reliance on caregivers for daily needs. Further deterioration around 2007-2008 led to the loss of ability to speak, eat, or swallow independently, as well as respiratory muscle failure necessitating a ventilator to breathe, which compounded the physical immobility with nutritional challenges. This timeline aligned with the typical ALS trajectory, where symptoms often start in the limbs (limb-onset ALS, affecting about 70% of cases) and spread, but Quan's experience highlighted the disease's relentless advancement despite its variability in speed. The impacts of on Quan's life were deeply personal and emotional, stripping him of the physical ability to create the art that defined his identity and forcing a reevaluation of his role within his . Unable to paint or draw manually, he experienced profound frustration and isolation, as eliminated the tactile process central to his work as an . life was significantly strained, with his condition imposing emotional burdens and financial pressures related to medical equipment and caregiving, prompting fundraisers to support the Quan . Initially, Quan coped through basic communication aids, such as eye blinking to spell out words, which allowed limited interaction but underscored the emotional toll of reduced and expression.

Eyewriter Technology and Revival

In response to the progressive paralysis caused by , Tempt One collaborated with Not Impossible Labs, along with artists, engineers, and hackers from groups such as Free Art and Technology (FAT) Lab and the OpenFrameworks community, to develop the Eyewriter in 2010. This open-source project began as a weekend effort, producing a low-cost eye-tracking system assembled from everyday components like a , a , inexpensive , LEDs, and basic hardware such as zip-ties and . The initiative, led by Not Impossible Labs founder Mick Ebeling and involving key contributors including Zach Lieberman, Roth, and James Powderly, aimed to enable individuals with severe mobility limitations to create art digitally. The Eyewriter technology functions by using a mounted on custom glasses to track the user's eye movements and blinks in real time, translating these into cursor control on a connected . Software processes the gaze data to generate lines, select colors, and form shapes, allowing for the creation of intricate drawings that mimic traditional techniques, such as bold tags and stylized lettering characteristic of Tempt One's signature style. This setup, costing around $100 compared to commercial eye-tracking devices exceeding $15,000, outputs the artwork either digitally or via projections for physical murals, enabling remote collaboration where the artist's eye-controlled designs are projected onto walls by assistants. The system's debut occurred in 2011, when Tempt One used the Eyewriter to create his first mural—a large-scale tag—on a wall in , marking the world's inaugural instance of eye-controlled . This event, facilitated by the technology's ability to convert his eye gazes into precise lines and fills, was projected live onto the building surface, allowing him to "tag" despite full-body . Following this breakthrough, Tempt One produced additional murals in using the Eyewriter, including tags on downtown buildings, as well as digital pieces that expanded his adaptive practice through 2023. These creations were featured in exhibitions such as the Museum of Modern Art's "Talk to Me" in New York (2011) and the XXII in (2019), showcasing the Eyewriter's role in sustaining his artistic output.

Legacy

Death

Tony Quan, known professionally as Tempt One, died on September 1, 2023, at the age of 54 in , , after a 20-year battle with (ALS). In his final years, Quan continued to produce artwork using the Eyewriter, an eye-tracking device that enabled him to create despite advanced paralysis from ALS. This technology, developed through collaborations with innovators, allowed him to maintain his artistic practice into the late stages of his illness. The graffiti and art communities responded swiftly to Quan's death with widespread tributes, including murals and pieces painted on Los Angeles walls by members of his crews such as STN, K2S, 213K, and FB, as well as other legends who honored his pioneering style and resilience. Collaborators like ANGST, EYEONE, DEFER, PRIME, and SLICK, who had worked with him on projects including a 2011 3D graffiti sculpture, joined in commemorating his contributions as both an artist and an activist for accessibility in creative expression. Not Impossible Labs, the organization behind the Eyewriter, recognized Quan's enduring influence on their mission to empower individuals with disabilities through technology. No public details emerged regarding a or formal service.

Influence and Recognition

Tempt One's contributions to graffiti have profoundly influenced subsequent generations of artists, particularly through his pioneering fusion of cholo lettering with New York-style hip-hop elements, which defined a distinctive West Coast aesthetic. His emphasis on bold, calligraphic handstyles inspired writers to innovate within the local scene, as seen in tributes from contemporaries who credit his work with setting standards for character-driven pieces and stylistic evolution. Beyond aesthetics, Quan's persistence amid personal adversity exemplified resilience, motivating community activism among graffiti practitioners who view his career as a model for cultural advocacy and curation of spaces. The Eyewriter project garnered significant recognition for advancing adaptive technologies, earning a spot on Time magazine's list of the 50 Best Inventions of 2010 and the 2010 Prix award for its innovative use of open-source eye-tracking to enable creation for those with severe . Quan's involvement highlighted in TED talks, such as Mick Ebeling's 2011 presentation on the device's development, positioned the work as a cornerstone in discussions, demonstrating how collaborative can restore artistic agency. His story has been featured in forums on adaptive tech, underscoring the Eyewriter's role in bridging and for paralyzed creators. The 2012 documentary Getting Up: The Tempt One Story, directed by Caskey Ebeling, played a pivotal role in elevating Quan's narrative and raising awareness about by chronicling his rehabilitation through the Eyewriter, from premiere at the —where it won the Audience Award—to screenings at events like the , where it received Best Director for a Feature Documentary. The film inspired broader conversations on against illness, amplifying calls for research and support within artistic communities. Posthumously, following Quan's death on September 1, 2023, his legacy has endured through tributes in the LA graffiti world and honors in adaptive art circles, including features in the 2020 Recoding CripTech exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center, which showcased his Eyewriter pieces as exemplars of "criptech"—hacking and technology tailored for disabled creators—to foster dialogues on . Quan's passing further intensified advocacy for funding, with community memorials highlighting his unyielding impact on persistence and creativity.

References

  1. https://lataco.com/tempt-graffiti-artist-dies
  2. https://www.slugmag.com/community/getting-back-up-tempt-one-writes-again/
  3. https://www.notimpossible.com/projects/tempt-and-the-eye-writer
  4. https://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/54232/getting-up-the-tempt-one-story
  5. https://haute-lifestyle.com/arts-culture/avant-garde-cinema/155-getting-up-a-story-of-hope-and-survival-against-insurmountable-circumstances.html
  6. https://laist.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/la-graffiti-writing-art-politics
  7. https://www.npr.org/2023/08/10/1192466118/hip-hop-50-los-angeles
  8. https://scienceofparkinsons.com/2018/11/16/not-impossible/
  9. https://scienceofparkinsons.com/tag/tony-quan/
  10. https://www.sprayplanet.com/blogs/news/from-buses-to-river-walls-graffiti-in-1980s-to-early-90s-los-angeles
  11. https://manone.com/blog/2007/03/tempt-one-true-la-legend_4393.html
  12. https://www.graffiti.org/tempt/tempt_1/
  13. https://oxfordre.com/literature/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.001.0001/acrefore-9780190201098-e-868
  14. https://crewestshop.com/blog/tag/kuya
  15. https://www.fastcompany.com/1679433/getting-up-how-a-locked-in-graffiti-artist-inspired-the-impossible
  16. https://www.graffiti.org/tempt/index.html
  17. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/124980282
  18. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/
  19. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354022
  20. https://www.ted.com/talks/mick_ebeling_the_invention_that_unlocked_a_locked_in_artist/transcript
  21. https://www.als.org/understanding-als/what-is-als
  22. https://blog.ted.com/ted-weekends-shares-the-story-of-a-once-locked-in-grafitti-artist/
  23. https://goodstory.io/mick-ebeling/
  24. https://www.evan-roth.com/~/works/eyewriter/
  25. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/145518
  26. https://street-fame.com/graffiti-styles-101-the-official-street-bible/
  27. https://mstobon.com/2016/12/06/recap-of-tempt-ones-cant-stop-wont-stop-art-show-k2s/
  28. https://stevegrodygraffitifile.substack.com/p/17-collaborations-pt-4
  29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7fidQ1UVYI
  30. https://csugrue.com/the-eyewriter/
  31. https://www.ted.com/talks/mick_ebeling_the_invention_that_unlocked_a_locked_in_artist
  32. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/slamdance-getting-up-tempt-one-story-283662/
  33. https://www.facebook.com/notimpossiblelabs/videos/getting-up-the-tempt-one-story-trailer-one/357238979936587/
  34. https://www.caskeyebeling.com/awards-press
  35. https://www.fastcompany.com/1679433/getting-up-how-a-locked-in-graffiti-artist-inspired-the-impossible/
  36. https://somarts.org/exhibition/recoding-criptech/
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