Meet Taylor Cleveland | Artist & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Cleveland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, how do you think about risk?
I think about risk as a judgement meter to determine if something is worth doing. I think that taking risks is crucial to success, and nothing worth doing comes risk-free, especially creatively.

Risks are something that come up in my life pretty frequently – from investing in crypto to moving across the country for work. Even in my art practice I’ve taken huge risks, like dying on social media, or being on “reality” TV.

Overall, I think the risks I take direct and define who I am and where I go.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work is focused on technology’s role in people’s environments [physical and/or digital]. This is a big focus, so there aren’t any specific mediums I work with – I’m all over the place, from performance, video, projection, AR/VR, audio, music, to animation, installation, immersive theater, code, and paint.

Provocatively playful, I immerse audiences within spectacles and concepts that seek to reconfigure material senses at physical, cultural, and individual levels. I’m also obsessed with the reification of the organic human experience.

I’m from East Dallas – born and raised. I think that finding my path, while always directly in front of me, was ultimately the most challenging part of my career. Mentors and applicable guidance weren’t easy to come by. By some miracle I was able to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I worked 3 on-campus jobs while taking 5 classes a semester.

After graduating, I went to work for a big ad agency in NYC, Ogilvy… and hated it.
I came back to Texas and started px.lab and Jumbo Jumbo – a small experimental New Media studio & a video production company. I’ve also stayed working on original concepts and occasionally freelancing for clients.

Just recently I was brought on full time to Experience Trust, an experiential creative tech studio known for award-winning games, mixed reality immersive entertainment, short films, and live-venue activations. Based out of Dallas, with a 26-year pedigree of animation and storytelling with studio partners like Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Animation, Warner Bros., DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, Legendary Pictures and Universal Studios as well as experiential agencies, technology giants and global brands. Collectively, the studio’s creative team boasts top creative accolades, such as Academy, Emmy, Annie, Cannes Lion and Lumiere Awards.

It hasn’t been easy – but nothing good comes easy. I think that persistence along with the ability to fail are two of the most important factors for getting to where you want to go (even if you don’t know exactly where you want to end up).

Also, take risks.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Day 01 Lakewood
Goldrush Cafe (Breakfast Special or Ruby’s Veggie Tacos)
Halcyon (Work & Coffee & Happy Hour)
Jimmys Italian Market (Italian Sub, Prosecco)
Walk/Bike the Sante Fe Trail -> Jimmys Picnic at White Rock Lake
The Heights (Chicken Pot Pie & Deviled Eggs)
Lakewood Landing (Alcohol & Jukebox)
Cosmos (Alcohol & Jukebox)

Day 02
Old East-ish Dallas
Morning walk down Swiss Ave
Corner Market (Quiche)
Buffalo Exchange (Thrifting)
Standard Service (Lunch)
Truckyard (Beer)
Granada (Concert)
Old Monk (Alcohol)
Spider Murphy’s (More Alcohol)

Day 03
Meerkat Bistro (Get Mimosa with Berry Ice Ball)
Dallas Museum of Art
Nasher Sculpture Center
Event at the Cedars Union
Four Corners (Beer)
Lee Harvey’s (Beer & Burger)
Palladium (Concert)
Mike’s Gemini (Alcohol)

Day 04
Oak Cliff
Oddfellows (Breakfast)
Dirt (Get some flowers)
Dolly Python (Thrifting/Antiques)
Shopping & Walking
Paradiso (Lunch and Wine)
Reveler’s Hall (Live Music and Beer)
Texas Theater (Old Movie or event)
Tiny Victories (Alcohol)

Day 05
Deep Ellum
All Good Cafe
Shopping and Tattoos
Tiki Loco (Vegan Food)
Undermain Theater (Play)
Club Dada (Concert)
Twilight Room (Karaoke)

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are too many people to shoutout: My fiancée Sage, my family, my group chat LAMES – SAIC, Flight School, and all of the collaborators I’ve worked with along the way!

Website: taylorcleveland.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taaaylor4really/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-cleveland-86a10651/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taylorthecleveland/

Other: Behance: https://www.behance.net/taylorcleveland