We recently had the chance to connect with Prairie T. Trivuth and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Prairie T., thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I recently moved, and for the first time I am enjoying the landscape of my neighborhood. I like to explore new places, in ways of culture and nature. I feel very grateful to have been able to create an independent life and take roots in California, so I’m doing all I can to appreciate it all.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a Scenic and Production Designer based in Los Angeles, specializing in narrative-focused environmental and spatial design for film, television, stage, and immersive placemaking. I feel that what is special about what I do lies in the process of collaboration between a director, writer, or any artist and myself as a designer. From bouncing ideas off of each other, something profound and unique will emerge. Lately, my career is more focused on creating a world for a single, intense and strong concept can come alive in. I’m interested in design logic that is more abstract and compositional rather than representational. Every time that I get to collaborate with artists who feel the same way, it fills me with so much hope that in this world there are people willing to have a conversation: artists, audience, society- albeit unspoken.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
What has taught me the most about work is the ephemerality of the film industry. Having experienced almsot everything from a prestigeous television job to some of the scrappiest productions in Los Angeles, I learned that most valuable aspect of it all is bringing a vision to life when you truly believe in it. There has never been a time in my career where the entire environment isn’t moving like a roller coaster, and even then there is no doubt that being a designer is what I am meant to do. Thanks to all of the challenges and obstacles, I have become so confident that I am pursuing what I love.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
Not exactly a pain, but more like inconfidence and doubt, that I had to put effort into releasing it out of my mindset. As someone who moved across the world because I believed that I can succeed as an artist who can make a sustainable living in California, reality was much more difficult that I used to be a victim of imposter syndrome and self deprecation. At the start of my career as a designer and artist, I would even turn down dream jobs because I thought that it was appropriate to restrict myself to supporting roles rather than a leader. However, that has changed after working and gaining expeirence, having been in the roller coaster of the industry, and realizing that there is no use in such self doubt. I started to move in the opposite direction of how I was before: I no longer see things as limits and obstacles, only challenges, and as an artist this kind of perspective shift not only improve my career and work process, but also how I approach each work itself with more conviction of making the best creation ever.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
Treating everyone with fairness and equality. This is something that shifted in me ever since I moved out of a more conservative and hiearchical society to LA. There is only one truth now that is universal- artists are workers and workers create the art. Working as an artist and a designer, the only ideal structure of relationship to have is equality. It has become apparent that to thrive, all I needed was trust, support, and empowerment from collaborators and leadership. I always aim to prioritize creating the same standards for everyone that I work with, and call out unfairness and acknowledge if an exploitation is being commited. Labor creates work, and all workers deserve ownership and respect over what they do.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
After working on a few union shows in Los Angeles, and working on a ton more independent creative productions, it is obvious that there is no achieving a dream; life is constant and it is impossible to create a genuine career goalpost. When you become an artist, you live your life as one- it is not a job title you can merely put in your resume. It is not that it was not satisfying to reach a goal, but it is more like with each step you take on this journey, it has become undeniable that seeking satisfaction is an illusion, and finding joy and hope and inspiration is the real process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://prairiett.com
- Instagram: @Prairiettrivuth
Image Credits
Patrick B. Kennedy, Ingrid Sanchez, Ray Chang
