Meet ARIEL HART: Animator/Illustrator

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

Hi ARIEL, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.
I’ve always viewed artmaking for me, especially animation, as a compulsion. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoy what I do. I’m obsessed with it. Working in motion graphics feels like channeling a necessity into something practical. Leveraging animation as a career is a phase in my lifelong habit. I’ll always need to make. Right now I make it with my hands, my eyes, but if they stop working I’ll have to hire someone to help me. Regardless, it’ll always need to be made.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Finding animation was a revelation and it’s been theraputic in most areas of my life. I know that if I can root it back to animation, that I can accomplish it. For example, part of my interest in animating is chipping away at something slowly over time and being able to step back and see how things are coming together in the big picture. That interest alone helps me cleaning the apartment, eating better, building trust — everything. It all feels easier when I reflect through that lens.

I’m where I’m at today through advertising, which I only half expected. It’s the type of relationship where I hate when I can feel it working, but damn I respect it. It shapes my aesthetic, my opinions and my thinking. I can’t control it in a big way, but working on it helps me understand what’s happening. Have you ever seen the Sony Bravia ad with the bouncy balls? So fucked up. It’s been ten years and I still think about it atleast once a month.

A friend of mine recently posted an IG story with a gif I made. I replied “I made that gif” and he said: “I can totally see it now. The internet is like 1% Ariel it seems like sometimes.”

That’s a high compliment. In terms of my personal work, I’m just trying to contribute a bunch of neon stuff to the internet.

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.
Hang out: Hollywood Farmer’s Market, Cruise LA, Picnic at Lake Hollywood Park, Hike Switzer Falls, Fountain Community Garden Movie Night

Eating: Dune, Sage Bistro, Pace Restaurant, El Compadre, ixlb Dimsum

Drinking: Tiki No, Burgundy Room, HMS Bounty, Karaoke at the Tattle Tale Room, Bonavista Revolving Lounge

There’s a lot of cross-town action here, but we’d figure it out. 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 an incredible amount of factors I owe my success to, but I wouldn’t be working in LA without the connections I gained through CalArts. I am also very grateful to have super supportive parents and friends inside and out of animation who are so talented and good-looking that I stay humble.

Website: a@arielhart.com

Instagram: arielhart.gif

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielhart/

Twitter: arielhart

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