Ted Dewan is an American author/illustrator and artist based in Oxford. His road justice campaigning began as a series of press-friendly mischievous installations on his own street, most notably, Living Room which was built with his neighbours. Dubbed “The Roadwitch Trial”, this series of temporary folk traffic-calming measures led to more substantial roadspace installation commissions from Oxford City and County Councils and Modern Art Oxford, including Cyclemas Tree (2004) and a position as lead artist for Luminox (2007). The residents’ association on Dewan’s street is currently working with Oxford’s two councils, Sustrans, and the Esme Fairbairn Foundation to pilot experimental resident-designed traffic-calming devices, currently in the consultation process. The overall concept behind the street’s redesign is to create the atmosphere of a living room in an attempt to alter the mood of passing motorists into a more appropriate state of mind.
