Today we’d like to introduce you to Carl Moore.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I feel I’ve always in some way been an artist. I grew up watching my brother and sisters create art and as they moved on to other careers, it became a very important part of my life. I moved to Memphis in the early 80’s to go to the Memphis College of Art and from there I’ve worked as a billboard painter, graphic designer for a sign company, freelance Art Director for a Record Company, Illustrator for the Department of Defense and other art related jobs.
I’ve been lucky to have been able to work in the art field consistently. But while working all these different jobs, I’ve always been a painter first and foremost. Creating art feels like mental and physical freedom, it’s a form of personal expression.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think any career that takes time and practice, the road can ever be smooth. I also wouldn’t call it a struggle. I think a struggle would be considered as something with insurmountable odds either personal or professional working solely against you and preventing you from creating your art. I haven’t had that problem. I think just working long hours in your studio while also working a full time job and prioritizing the expense of supplies vs the expenses of your household is just part of being an artist.
Some artists may feel that it’s a struggle trying to develop that work of art the way they envision it to look like in the end, and I can say I’ve been in this position many times.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a painter primarily. I have worked in silk screen printing, large scale digital design and I painted a few murals, but in the end I’m a painter. Every other thing I’ve created outside of that has evolved from my practice as a painter. I use acrylic paints. I painted with oils when I went to college because it was part of the course and used it for a few years after school before going back to acrylics.
My work has a social context that deals with the day to day life and social structure of the black man or woman in their community. How they live, how we live and cope with the issues that everyone else deals with. I deal with some societal issues, those topics that not only affect one group but society as a whole.
I’m proud to have been recognized by specific groups and organizations for which I’ve received some awards, but I’m most proud of being able to create and work as an artist on my own terms and being able to be part of a community of very talented and respected creative professionals.
Another proud moment was that I had the honor of being commissioned by both the Brooks Museum of Art (Soon to be the Memphis Art Museum) and the Memphis International Airport thru the Urban Art Commission to create large scale projects both of which are accessible to the public, which is very important.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Before and during college, I painted super realism. I became bored with it and there were so many other artists painting realism, who were really good at it. I didn’t want to be just another artist who painted realistic paintings. I wanted to work in a style that was more creative and more expressive, that allowed the freedom to change depending on the subject matter.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carlemoore.com
- Instagram: carle.moore
