mathein grew up in glenview, il, a suburb of chicago. he played with cameras as a kid, fiddled with broadcast television GEAR IN HIGHSCHOOL AND worked as a commercial/portrait photographer while attending the university of missouri. HE THEN MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY and CONTINUEs TO EXPERIMENT with photographs, films, and video. for work, MATHEIN edits documentary film and SETS LIGHTS FOR THE MOVIES AND COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHY.