Local Artist Feature // Eric Warner of Mountain Aesthete
We’d like to introduce you to an amazing local artist in our community! Eric Warner is the founder and creator of Mountain Aesthete, where he designs event decor, interiors, retail design and special projects for corporate and private clients here in Utah, including Sundance, Backcountry and Equality Utah. He’s also a featured artist at CreatePC (the Art Council’s pop-up gallery) and most recently, was a featured artist at the 2021 Summit Arts Showcase. If you haven’t met Eric or seen his work, you should keep your eyes peeled because his design installations are sure to become a fixture in our community for years to come!
Through a recent partnership with Equality Utah (an NGO working for a fair and just Utah), Eric created a 3D version of their logo in pink flowers for the Utah Pride celebration in Salt Lake City. His work contributed to the Pride Garden, an interactive outdoor exhibit that featured 20 unique themed-gardens celebrating Utah’s LGBTQ+ community.
Eric is a Utahn born and raised, and we’re lucky to have him back in town after his years spent studying design and working in New York. He writes, “I grew up in Provo Canyon, with Sundance and the Wasatch Mountains as my playground. Those years set the foundation for who I am as a designer, an artist and a person, instilling in me a profound respect for the magic and beauty of nature. I realized at an early age that I would need to leave Utah for my education and moved to NYC to study at Parsons School of Design.”
After school, Eric scored a job working in the Creative Services Department for Ralph Lauren. He says, "I was given the opportunity to design all sorts of projects, from window displays and store design, to product showrooms, interiors and special events. That was my real education. My time at Ralph Lauren launched my career, opening the door to work for many other amazing clients/companies." To date, Eric has worked with Hermés, Bulgari, Anthropologie, Cadillac, Wedgwood and Levi Strauss & Co.
After years in NYC, Eric missed the outdoors and decided it was time to come home. He writes, “Upon returning to Utah, I chose the name Mountain Aesthete as it was a natural evolution from the name of my previous design business in NYC, combined with my love of the mountains.” Today, Mountain Aesthete is open to all kinds of creative projects, large and small.
When it comes to finding inspiration, Eric found some silver linings throughout the “lost year of Covid” and decided to experiment with the juxtaposition of materials, like “weathered wood combined with a glimmering block of polished acrylic, or the use of vintage beads to create a pattern on a lacquer panel.” Most importantly, Eric believes that, “creativity, craftsmanship, authenticity, and integrity of materials are always key.”
While locals and visitors alike notice an increasing number of public art installations throughout Park City’s streets, buildings, and trails, Eric is an advocate for “more large-scale artworks and installations for both public and private locations, especially restaurants and resorts.” If you have an idea or a vision, let Eric deliver dynamic results!
Cheers to Eric for his effort in celebrating our community with design!