John Van Vliet

►John Van Vliet has been a professional image maker involved in graphics, animation, photography and feature film work for over 50 years. ►Art training began at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. This was followed by a radically short haircut and serving with the U.S. Air Force where he was lucky enough to end up working in a graphics shop with a secret clearance. After his discharge, he grew his hair back and reverted to his former position of starving art student, continuing his art studies at California Institute of the Arts in the Character Animation (Disney) program. ►In 1977 he was hired to work at Industrial Light & Magic (a division of Lucasfilm) then migrated to Disney and eventually left to open his own studio as a freelance visual effects artist. ►As an independent, Van Vliet ran crews, designed and supervised visual effects on a number of feature films often working out of the country on location. He was involved with over 70 film projects with clients in the motion picture industry including Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Warner Bros. and MGM. ►Van Vliet retired from the motion picture business and moved to Arizona where he now spends his time wandering the deserts of the Southwest pursuing his personal art and photography projects without adult supervision. Between projects he also pursues his goal of being a cranky, old guy yelling at fascists to get off his lawn.