NOBLE SAVAGE
is the diverse collaborative work of
Austin Le Moine & Troy Chebs, two midwestern friends on a mission to explore their constantly evolving passions and plant seeds of eccentricity and imagination across america. Their practice is inherently diverse and takes on a growing number of forms: DIY construction, film, live vinyl happenings, small space design, agriculture, bike trips, scavenger hunts, skateboarding, mixtapes, collage and animation.

Seeking relief from their monotonous day jobs, the two amigos began collaborating in an old two-flat they shared on the west side of Chicago. A spare bedroom became their studio, and various forms of creative work would commence after dinner each night. Over time the two became increasingly unsatisfied with the art-at-night arrangement. With such limited time to create, experimentation was stifled by the clock and the always approaching next day of “real work”. The two could feel their imagination slowly fading…

Two years later, their escape plan took the form of a 35-ft transit bus, once used by the University of Loyola Maryland to shuttle students around campus. Together they planned to transform the bus into a self-sustaining mobile collaborative workspace & home that would enable them to live comfortably with very little income, and provide them with a mindset in which they could make decisions without having to constantly think about making enough money. It was in this manner, where money no longer dictated life, that they felt imagination flourished.

Growing up outdoors and having parents that praised creativity and adventure helped fuel their eccentric plan. As kids, Troy and Austin were both encouraged to use tools, build tree houses and skate ramps, fish in the creek and camp in the woods. Building materials were scavenged from the trash, and they were free to roam the area unsupervised. Entertainment was created, not bought, and the building process itself was half the fun.

Their youthful ability to reimagine and repurpose discarded materials played a large role in the bus construction process. Once again they found themselves scouring dumpsters, checking alleys, and tearing down barns. A full plan of construction was never created – found materials served as sources of inspiration and dictated much of the layout.

The duo completed their rolling workspace one and a half years later, originally working weekends and making slow progress before quitting their day jobs completely to finish construction. From the beginning, the act of transforming the bus into a living space fit for indefinite use was a large part of the allure. Of course, adventure and a reduced importance of income were also key motivators, but building, learning new skills, and creating a space completely their own, much like building a fort, was a very welcome challenge for the duo and a great relief from their dull day jobs.

Having spent lots of time outdoors, both as kids and adults, it was crucial that the bus also left a small footprint on our earth. A noisy generator was out of the question – instead, they installed a 500-watt solar array that would provide plenty of power for lights, basic appliances, tools, and even turntables. The rig was also outfitted with a basic ceramic filtration system that used gravity to create drinkable water from any source and a composting toilet that produced organic waste instead of sewage. Living this way made it easy to balance the amount of time they spent in culture-rich cites, and the time they spent exploring or creating out in the woods.

Throughout the construction process and their subsequent travels Austin & Troy have found themselves in the company of fantastically eccentric and brilliant people. They’re not sure if its the bus or themselves, but it feels as if they’re magnetized to that sort of mindset – and they wouldn’t have it any other way. These passionate people naturally enrich the world and the lives of people around them, and it’s scary to think consumer culture, smart phones and debt might be making these amazing characters a dying breed. With this in mind Noble Savage aims to inspire others, especially children, to be creative, be eccentric, and make their own fun rather than seek it on a computer or phone, and remind them that it’s ok to pour your soul into something that might not make you rich.

While presenting their project at schools, offices, and backyards around the US they’ve noticed that the bus deeply resonates with all people – rich, poor, young, old, conservative & liberal – maybe it’s because almost everyone has ridden a bus at some point in their life, or maybe because once inside, you enter a completely unexpected, immersive environment that is saturated with countless hours of hard work and love – but regardless of the reason, it appears to be the perfect tool to tickle even the most decrepit of imaginations, and these two bus boys plan on using that magic to it’s full potential.

create, explore, and don’t settle for the mundane – we’ll see you on the road!

Noble Savage ; ^ )

FORMS OF CONTACT:

phone – 7(zero)8 – 3(five)1 – 6(six)4(four)
email – noblesavage.us(at)gmail.com
instagram – @noblesavage_us
facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WeAreNobleSavage/

WORKSHOPS / LECTURES :

Warehouse 508 Youth Center – Albuquerque, NM 06/13/18 – 06/14/18
New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) – New Orleans, LA 04/19/18
Whole Foods, World Headquarters – Austin, TX 03/30/17
William B. Travis High School – Austin, TX 03/28/17
College of Design, Iowa State University – Ames, IA 09/02/16
Dr. Bill Thomas “The Age of Disruption” Tour – Whitestown, IN 05/12/16
Lyons Township High School – Western Springs, IL 05/06/16

LIVE VINYL : (samples)

Blame it on the Boogie: A Funky Nightmare @ The Observatory, Chicago IL – all vinyl dance party hosted by Noble Savage 10/27/2018
Creative Cocktail Hour @ Real Art Ways, Hartford CT 09/20/18
Private Wedding @ Fisheye Farms, Detroit MI 09/15/18
Leftover Soul @ Sister Bar, Albuquerque NM 06/15/18
LivLab Studios, Albuquerque NM 06/15/18
Moontown Brewing, Whitestown IN 02/17/18
Blame it on the Boogie: bus departure @ Steve’s, Chicago IL – all vinyl dance party hosted by Noble Savage 01/05/2018
Dud Lawson “It’s Like I’m Really Here” Closing Reception @ Chicago Art Dept, Chicago IL 12/08/17
Marshall Svedsen Open Studio SOFA Afterparty, Chicago IL 11/04/17
Blame it on the Boogie @ The Observatory, Chicago IL – all vinyl dance party hosted by Noble Savage 10/06/2017
First Ascent Humboldt Park, Chicago IL 09/30/2017
Danny’s Tavern, Chicago IL 09/20/2017
Punch House, Chicago IL 09/12/2017
Cirque Cyclery / Remedy Juice Bar, Paonia CO 07/05/2017
Stanford University 2017 Master of Fine Arts Grad Party, Stanford CA 05/18/17
NativeWax – Gunwhale Ales Taproom, Costa Mesa CA 05/10/2017
Pon Pon, Denver CO 03/14/17
The Hideout, Chicago IL 09/10/16
Renegade Craft Fair – Division St, Chicago IL 09/10/16
Danny’s Tavern, Chicago IL 05/18/16
Oxbow School of Art – Private Wedding – Saugatuck MI 04/30/16
The Hideout, Chicago IL01/23/15
NE-HI/Deeper/Mobile Soul – The Hideout, Chicago IL06/26/15
Fisheye Farms Kickstart Party – Detroit, MI07/11/15
Shakey Ground – Reeds Local, Chicago IL01/17/15
Tchfunkta – El Savi, Chicago IL10/26/13

EXHIBITIONS :

Found Flavors – one-month solo show at the Rainbo Club, Chicago IL09/20/15

PRESS :
Firetalk Recs – Deeper Share “Run” Video, Tour Europe & the UK 10/09/2019
Chicago Reader – Three-fourths of Ne-Hi switch gears as Spun Out 07/09/2019
Van Life – a book by Foster Hunnington available HERE
Middleouest – Two Art Nomads Take Off in a Bus Named Towanda 10/03/16
WLTL – Parkwell Project Bus Tour 02/21/17