We recently connected with Jeanine Centuori and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jeanine , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I love work. When you love what you do, and you can get into the flow, it does not seem like work. I truly love to make things with my own hands. When I am constructing something physical, my attention is totally on it, and the time flies by. I seek these moments, though they do not always happen. Work ethic, I believe is partially practiced, and partially innate. I think good habits can evolve and develop over time. Nowadays, my work ethic comes naturally.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I make public art and design projects for communities in collaboration with my partner, Russell Rock. He and I founded UrbanRock Design together in the year 2000 in Los Angeles. We are an architect and artist team who create site-specific projects. These projects are often connected with buildings, sites, and landscapes. As artworks, they are integrated into the architectural fabric and add a layer of meaning to the place. We work in many communities around the United States, and are fascinated by the connections between people and place. In order to find themes for artworks, we perform in-depth research that takes us to archives, community stakeholders, and the sites themselves. This phase of the work is very people-focused as we attempt to get into the community spirit. What makes this place unique and special? And what is the common ground among residents and stakeholders? These questions guide our inquiries and help us to focus on themes. Once we find a strong theme, it is full steam ahead on developing physical form to the artworks. We try to not predetermine the form, but rather see it as a natural outcome of the meaning and ideas embedded in the work.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Know your values and what guides you. Always be true to these values above all else. 2. Never work with people you do not like.
3. Find what brings you joy in your work.
See your work as “practice” and always seek to improve your skills and focus. Be true to yourself, and surround yourself with people who inspire you.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I love collaboration. In addition to collaborating with my partner, Russell Rock, I also collaborate with Cate Roman who is a graphic designer. Our projects are focused on environmental and graphic designs for various built environments. I am interested to collaborate with others who have specific skills in digital technologies such as augmented reality, and digital fabrication skills such as making complex forms using robotics.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://urbanrockdesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanrockdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanine.centuori/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanine-centuori-faia-9794332/
Image Credits
Russell Rock, photographer
