160/Achievers highlights the hobbies, skills, and talents that our employees dedicate themselves to outside the office. This month’s 160/Achiever is Ted Quann, a Senior Art Director based out of our Philly office. When Ted’s not in office, he’s painting and working on music.

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Office Location: Philadelphia, PA

Social Media (Instagram): @tedquann and @sold_theband

What’s your talent and how long have you been practicing?

I hate talking about myself like this. But to answer the question I suppose painting and music would be my talents. I’ve been practicing them since middle school.

 

What made you want to start?

Art was always an obsession and I was lucky to have studied under some insanely talented artists. Musically, the music video for “1979” has a scene where the Smashing Pumpkins played at a rager party and I was like “sh*t, I need to do this.

 

How would you define your style?

I love when the hero gets taken down a peg, or that feeling of seeing an old crush at a funeral–that everyday people tip. Creating, exploiting, and exploring that moment is exciting to me in the narratives I make in art.

 

What song or album could be the soundtrack to your life?

Probably “Kid A”

 

Someone else’s work that inspired you or that you admired lately?

I love old jams. Right now I’ve really been into painters like Goya who create a little story in a single scene and aren’t perfectionists about it.

 

What is your favorite quote?

“Stick to the script and play the hits.” I grew up in the 90/00’s when being called a “poser” was the worst thing in the world. This is something I tell myself to remind me that, as scarring as that was, there’s truth in being yourself, owning it, do what matters to you, and not changing on a whim for others–as long as it hits in one way or another.

 

Your main strength as a creative person?

I’m not big on qualifying myself; I just like to always bite off more than I think I can chew, creatively speaking.

 

What would you tell your younger self?

Learn about “copywriting” earlier.

 

A recent project you’re proud of outside of 160/90?

I put a lot of time into an album called “A New Wind” with my band SOLD. Really happy with how that came out.

 

A recent project you’re proud of at 160/90?

Making Film Noir videos for Luigi’s Real Italian Ice was a blast.