Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Gilliatt.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve been artistic since I was a child and discovered the idea early on how the everything we see around us has a “natural look” or “natural order” to it, which really fascinated me. I was always interested in perspective and geometry, and when I discovered its invention by The Greek philosophers I studied those theories throughout high school and into college. In my very early 20’s I was going to JC for my undergrad with the intention of getting an art degree in Industrial Design. Like a lot of struggling art students then, I became a custom picture framer to make a living while attending college. Around 1990 I was hired at The Frame Maker when they were located in East Village downtown San Diego. At the time they were one of the few local companies that were doing Professional Art Installation, and I was eventually trained as an assistant art installer. It was there that I learned how to “productionize” things into systems so that you could get a large amount of work done in the shortest time frame. These efficiencies really appealed to my sense of order, and also because I’m admittedly someone who wants to get the maximum result with the least amount of effort. Don’t we all?
After 8 years of learning the trade, and then eventually running the Installation Dept. at Frame Maker, Level One Art Installation was hatched nearly 20 years ago in 1999, with the sponsorship of the owner Steve Atlas. I was very lucky at the time, since my college prospects had withered and I had organically built up this large client base. However, I was still a pretty restless young guy and felt I needed to see if there was “something else” out there. So after only 3 years in business for myself, I decided to take a position working for a client, training to become a construction supervisor. It was the best and worst life decision I’d ever made. Despite the company’s small size, it was a very political environment and quite difficult to accomplish anything. However, I did learn a tremendous amount about myself and my character during that brief year, something that I’d never really been challenged on until that time. And during that tenure I’d acquired the skill set needed to work in and manage large scale construction environments, which is invaluable to the services Level One offers to this day.
Barely a year went by and I’d decided I was ready to recommit to my company and what I’d started. I’m grateful that nearly all of my clients came back and the company was up and running again. However, I needed help, since I was still doing everything solo, so in 2004 I brought Alan Clark on board. I’d known Alan for a long time and he’s always been a bit of a Renaissance Man. Being incredibly smart and creative, he quickly took to art installation and the methods I’d developed. We could now tackle larger scale jobs, begin to do some custom fabrication work, and most importantly build the business. In 2014 we incorporated and took the big step into higher profile projects needing consulting and project management. And last year, with the urging of my business coach, we finally hired an assistant, Ashley, to help manage things, and bring in another full-time installer Bobby.
Being a very small company in such a niche market, we managed to survive the Great Recession and grow since then, thanks entirely to our ability to handle many different types of projects, a strong client base and a carefully cultivated reputation of efficiency and accountability. Without which, Level One Art Installation wouldn’t exist. My philosophy for this company grew out of those ideals and lessons learned early on: Of providing clients with seamless solutions to their “vision”, whatever that may be. Sometimes it’s just a matter of execution. Other times it requires us to come up with a plan for that vision or idea and make it a reality. This is where the moniker “The Art of Installation” was formed and is the foundation for everything we strive to accomplish.
Please tell us about your art.
The “art” we create is the finished product of a well-executed project small or large. Whether it’s as simple as going to a client’s home and curating where and how their artwork will be placed and hang; to consulting and managing a large-scale installation projects requiring the use of construction methods, fabrication, code inspection, and heavy equipment. We also frequently work with artists to assist in bringing their vision and creation to life. Our philosophy is to see every installation project as a complete work of art in itself: from how we handle the booking and logistics of the job for the client at the beginning of the process, to making sure the client knows we are there to facilitate their idea of what they want to see installed, and to leave the job with as little impact as when we arrived, save for a new landscape of artwork.
This is sometimes an organic process when we arrive to do the job and have to lay out what we’re installing and consult the client on the where the artwork will have a “natural” place to exist. Other times it’s a matter of specking the job, engineering a solution, and executing it with minimal effort to achieve maximum impact.
The philosophy is borne in our mantra: “The Art of Installation.” Seeing the completion of each job as a “whole”, and then with its individual challenges utilizing a large toolbox of experience to systemize and break down the job into tasks that can be completed quickly and efficiently. Trying to anticipate problems before they arise is a big part of this process.
Besides the basic objective of giving clients “value” for the services we provide; our goal is to give the client a sense of effortlessness with the process. Art installation can be a stressful, and sometimes dangerous, undertaking if not approached correctly. The impression of art installation is such a subjective one, that when it’s done efficiently and effectively it can be very rewarding for everyone involved. The result of giving a client that sense of completion and satisfaction is what we strive for each time.
Art can, and is, usually the last thing considered when designing or occupying any given space or location. However, the impact that it makes in our lives as humans is invaluable to our wellbeing. Walk into any space before the artwork is installed, then leave and come back after it’s completed. When done correctly with thought and intent, the effect is one of having a sense of place and belonging. Therein lies the goal.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Success to me would be when Level One Art Installation is at a place where it can be self-sustaining and I can focus entirely on the things within the company that give me the greatest satisfaction doing: From consulting and curating with clients to managing large installation jobs with multiple timelines and complex installations. The more challenging and seemingly “impossible” the better.
Patience and perseverance are probably the first things that come to mind to be successful. But also surrounding yourself with capable a support network that can help you put into plan your “vision” and be there to keep you on track with that plan. Rarely anyone is alone in their success.
To be able to face your fear of failure and your fear of success simultaneously, and to try and see around your Blind Spots. These things can derail any good plan.
I’ve always felt that there’s a middle ground to thrive within, where you learn and create opportunities from your failures, especially if you own them immediately and don’t delay that growth process, no matter how painful. But also, to not let your successes fill you up so much that you lose sight of what it took to get there.
What’s happened before is knowledge, and what’s to happen is unknown. One is only as good as the project you’re working on in that moment, so be present with it.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
We are the guys (and gals) in the background that make things happen. Usually this means some of our best work is done in private homes and in businesses. Occasionally we will do a large-scale exhibit installation for galleries in San Diego, like Madison Gallery or California Center of the Arts, Escondido, or Jeff Mitchum Galleries in Las Vegas. However, over the past several years we’ve had the privilege of handling several major large scale public art installations, where we provided logistics, management, consultation and installation for nearly all of the artwork at that location:
The Omni Hotel, Downtown, San Diego, CA
The Map & Atlas Museum of La Jolla, La Jolla, CA
Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Glendale, CA
Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, CA
Eisenhower Medical Outpatient Pavilion, Palm Springs, CA
Marriott Marquis Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA
Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, Palo Alto, CA
Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA
Viejas Casino and Resort, Alpine, CA
Westfield UTC Mall in University City, San Diego, CA
With that said, we post almost all of our finished installations on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. On these social media platforms, you can find our projects both past and present.
People can support our work by referring us to someone who may need a professional art installer or installation team and commenting/liking/forwarding our work on our social media posts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LevelOneArtInstallation.com
- Phone: 619-804-4700
- Email: info@leveloneartinstallation.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/leveloneartinstallation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LevelOneArtInstallation
- Other: https://www.LinkedIn.com/leveloneartinstallation
Image Credit:
Photos are the sole copyright of Level One Art Installation.
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