We were lucky to catch up with Erik Otto recently and have shared our conversation below.

Erik, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

To be perfectly honest, my art practice has always pulled from my personal story, so there’s a heavy amount of meaning with every project I do. However, mostly due to its timing, one project in particular still stands out to me for a myriad of ways.

Currently residing in New York City and just prior to the start of the Covid pandemic, I agreed to a 2-person show in San Francisco. Cash flow was tight due to a few financial mistakes, yet I was fully motivated to shift my work towards an all new sculptural approach. The day after NYC was told to lock down, I had no choice but to keep riding my bike to the studio and make the work I was compelled to make.

Not long after that, my beloved sister-in-law was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and so while the world was focused on Covid, my family was navigating our own wave of uncharted waters. Meanwhile, opening of the show was was pushed back until the soonest safest moment and the vision for my site-specific installation was altered from a standalone booth to a free-hanging piece that allowed air flow — reflecting the changing safety protocols and bringing forth an opportunity to create a substantial piece that was even more relevant to the uncertain times.

Entirely improvisational, the installation incorporated translucent and color-changing films suspended at the center of the gallery from above in a culmination of color and reflective light. A contrasting pile of concrete rubble sourced from a building demolition happening next door was added to delineate the sculpture from the rest of space that was also symbolic of moment in time where the world was being torn from its old ways in order to rebuild. In all, the piece itself was a response to the events happening around me — the global pandemic, my dying sister-in-law, and the difficult emotional mix of heartbreak and hope each circumstance produced. In addition, I had produced an entirely sculptural and light based series of work for the surrounding exhibition — each containing a neon light that reflected back on to the surfaces of the films.

The title of the piece was inspired by the poetic phrase written on the boxes of medical supplies delivered to Italy from China in an effort of humanitarian aide at the height of the pandemic. An action that represented humanity coming together with faith in a positive outcome. From the materials themselves to the act of bringing it to life, this project carried endless amount of meaning to me symbolic of hope, strength, fragility, family and unity during such an unforgettable time.

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We Are Waves of The Same Sea

Site-specific Installation
dichroic film, solar reflective film, tinted vinyl fabric, reclaimed concrete and LED lights
20 x 20 x 15 ft.

Heron Arts
San Francisco, CA
December 2020

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My given name is Erik Otto. My mom felt creativity while I was in her womb. I have been creating my entire life — I know no other path. I believe in creativity as a form of self-expression and self-reflection. I believe curiosity is what keeps our minds young and its the same curiosity that has driven me to consistently make work in a variety of ways. I am a full-time visual artist working in the disciplines of painting, sculpture, and installation. I sell my work through galleries, to private collectors, and fulfill the occasional requests from architects, designers, and curators to produce site-specific murals and installations in larger environments with a goal to spark moments of inspiration.

I create work in a growing list of mediums and there is no material I am not afraid to try. I continually reinvent myself and let the process of making the work shine through the work itself. I am both a dreamer and doer.

I have been working professionally for almost 20 years and as much I enjoy solitary work, I believe in the power of collaboration. More importantly, I enjoy what I do and choose to direct my life towards growth in everything I do by choosing opportunities that challenge me. I am not driven by money and instead driven by my intentions to produce meaningful impact.

What sets me apart is my ability to improvise, often resulting in a greater outcome. I am natural born problem solver. I tend to see the bigger picture, go beyond my self, and attempt the impossible repeatedly with productive results. With each project, my goal is to stay present and learn as much as I can because I know one day my day will come and I want to look back fondly knowing I did the best I could.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The ability to connect beyond words to a larger community. For me, to make art is to heal and when my work is shared, it might even help other heal as well. No one goes through this world unscathed and we all could all benefit from some healing. The larger and often corny goal has always been to make the world a better place. Pack in, pack out, and maybe…just maybe, leave this world better than when I arrived.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The first 10 years of my art career, I made no money. In fact, my first major solo exhibition at the age of 27, I remember having a budget set at zero dollars and set out to produce an entire collection of work made entirely out of found, salvaged, and reclaimed materials. To produce work out of unwanted material was a humble journey, but I learned how much can be done without money and just pure belief in what you are doing. For the larger portion of my career, any money I made was dedicated to studio rent and purchasing tools and materials. I never settled into any one space or method of working and have always believed in pivoting with the changing times. In my humble opinion, once you let go of the resistance to change, the world will open itself up to you. With intense gratitude, my starving artist days are long behind me, but I do feel much of my current success is owed to my early days of doing the best I could with what was available to me and keeping an open mind. I have no art school degree and I don’t come from a long line of artists — none of that matters when you have a story to tell and the grit to pull you through.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.erikotto.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikottostudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikottostudio
• Other: Seed Gallery / Gallery Director — https://seedgallery.co/