SOL sat down to chat with Barcelona- based Art Director Elisabeth Herzog. Elisabeth spoke to SOL about her jump into art direction, what has moulded her career and why her latest project Elements with Unit3 is a perfect representation of her visual and creative aesthetics. Studio Elisabeth Herzog is not only prompt to creative direction but also offers a virtual showroom for furniture and local designers. You can keep up to date with the creative world of Elisabeth on Instagram @elisabethherzog_ and view her latest projects on her official website here.

Can you tell us about the path that led you to the art direction industry and what inspired you to pursue this field?

I originally come from a design and engineering background, but engineering was never my thing and I liked too many aspects of design such as interior, furniture, graphic design and editorial. Back in the day I was searching for a way to combine all of these elements and this led me to the field of art direction which is very versatile and can bring many fields together.

Can you share some of the most impactful moments that have shaped you as an artist and art director

I think the most impactful moments for me are the challenges I grow with. It's one thing to work in your usual environment and with your network but it's a completely different thing to work in another country, under different circumstances, where things work differently and you have to find your way to realise your vision. And when you then actually accomplish your work and see that everything turns out great - that's where I learn, that's the experience that shapes me most and most importantly I learn to trust myself and the process. I worked as the main art director for a feature film we shot in Switzerland. The remote pre production was not easy, and then living in a hotel and working under completely different circumstances than normal, until then seeing the film on a big cinema screen was a very emotional moment. Winning an award for my work in the Barcelona fashion film festival was very unexpected as well. And travels to such amazing places as cape town are definitely memorable and unique experiences.

Aesthetics and creativity are inextricably linked. What does the concept of aesthetics mean to you both personally and professionally, and how do you use it to guide your work?

Aesthetics mean everything to me and I have the feeling it's getting more extreme the older I get! It starts with what I'm wearing every day, how I decorate my apartment, how I plate my food when I cook and what I like to see around me - I feel like seeing beautiful nature, objects or architecture just nourishes and inspires me. And this can be even a small detail such as condensed water droplets on a metallic beer tap in a bar.

At the time of our connection, you were in Cape Town! What are your thoughts on the current state of the local design industry? Are there any creatives you find particularly exciting?

I have met some interesting creatives here in cape town, I love Inge Prins work related to interior and we seem to share the same love for objects. Also the work of Armand Dicker is outstanding to me with his use of colors and contrast. But overall I must say that I get the feeling that most of the creative industry here concentrates more on swimwear and commercial work. Fashion and contemporary art do not seem to really be a thing as I heard from local friends.

Are there any designers and creatives you would like to work with? Who do you think is doing exciting work and pushing the boundaries of the art direction industry?

There are many great photographers and videographers in this world I would like to work with, but no one specific comes to mind right now.

Looking towards the future, what is your vision for your career as an art director and for Elisabeth Herzog? What are some of the goals you hope to achieve, and how do you see yourself evolving as an artist and creative professional?

Next to the art direction I opened a showroom for vintage furniture and local designers. At the moment I am working on joining these two fields and exploring the relationship between creative and art direction with interior design.I hope to be inspiring with my way of decorating my own space, the installations I create with the furniture and the small events I organised and decorated so far, as well as my way of branding and communication - so I am able to provide these services more and more for other brands as well. In the future I would like to concentrate on designing concepts for spaces, such as stores, exhibitions and windows and on the development of creative branding.

How can one keep up to fate with the world of Elisabeth Herzog?

Instagram: @elisagethherzog_

Website: herzogelisabeth.com

Finally if you had to choose a single IMAGE yours or another’s, to represent yourself as an artist and art director, what would it be and why?

This is a difficult one ! It would probably be the project ELEMENTS I did for the local hairdresser unit 3 last year. We chose three different characters (the innocent, the bold and the elegant) and tried to express their personalities through movement of body in combination with objects, furniture, textures and materials which represent each individual character. And then we presented the film and photography in the form of a creative installation at their anniversary event. It was a small scale project but since I was in charge of the creative direction and also direction of the movie and entire project I would say that this one represents my work in detail. I took a photo of the installation on my phone.