Wes Larsen

Wes Larsen is an Assistant Professor of Design & Visual Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), appointed since Fall 2024. Previously, he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the same department from Fall 2020 to Spring 2024. His academic and creative work intersects graphic art, performance, writing, and experimental publishing, emphasizing obfuscation and irreverence to explore the boundaries between connotative and denotative interpretations. His practice employs methods like laser printing, serigraphy, RISO, and print-on-demand services to interrogate economic production systems.

Education:

• MFA in 2D Design, Cranbrook Academy of Art
• BFA in Visual Communication Design, University of Texas at Arlington

Research & Collaboration: Larsen co-founded WHAT–THAT, a studio specializing in critical design, writing, and research collaborations with cultural institutions. Their projects blur autonomy and authorship through improvisational, collective creative processes. His earlier career included running the independent design studio Tocco in Fort Worth, Texas.

Advising & Grants: While specific grants are not detailed, his academic role at UWM likely involves mentoring students through design projects. Collaborative endeavors with institutions suggest potential grant-funded research activities.

Labs/Teams: Active in WHAT–THAT and previously Tocco, focusing on experimental design practices and social-practice collaborations.