Camp North End — Charlotte, NC
One word that comes to mind when you think of Matt Moore or see any of his murals around the city is — Iconic. You see them everywhere you turn, and it captivates you in some aspect of being impressed or taking that image and interpreting the way it makes you think or feel. Where did this passion come from? "I'm a very grateful person because I have a really rad life. I've had some major hardships and things I've had to overcome. I'm the luckiest guy on the planet for many reasons, but it’s because I've always known what I wanted to do. When I held my first pencil, I was drawing. I was obsessed with Bob Ross as a kid. My parents saw that and were kind enough to buy me a few canvases and easels. I wanted to do something with art but didn't know what that was. I wanted to direct music videos because music means a lot to me — I just wanted to make stuff."
"Another thing that's helped me is that I've always been supported. The older I've gotten, the more I've developed an empathy for other creatives. I grew up in Asheville, and I grew up kind of different. I played sports, was big into football, but I also loved art and was finding the balance for both. I had no one in my life tell me, "Oh, art is lame. Just stick to sports." I only had people tell me that I would be a famous artist — and when you hear that as a kid, you start to believe that you can do it."
"When I was 25, I started working at this nightclub and told my boss I was ready for my first art show. We did this live painting. My buddy, who wrote poetry, read something he wrote, and I painted as he read it to everyone. I was in the middle of the room, flipping this canvas all over and painting this piece, and no one knew what it was. I remember hearing people behind me saying, "C'mon, buddy, you got it!" And I was like, this is going to blow people's minds when I'm finished. And when my buddy was wrapping up his speech, I revealed the painting and the rawr that came through that room; it was that moment that took me to the next step. Now what?”
“So I just started painting. I linked up with a few places in the city and sold my art. I had my pieces available and was selling one or two a week, which was amazing. My buddy asked if I was interested in painting murals, and I did my very first mural for PBR in NoDa. Then, it was THAT moment that took me to the next level. I paint for other people because if I can inspire or make someone just a little uncomfortable — that's awesome. Once that happened, my buddy Matt Hooker was painting murals, too, so we started to collaborate on it and saw that something was there. It was very organic and natural. So now everything was getting into the mindset of the next step for my career: to learn and do something new. Growth is why I don't want to have a certain style where folks expect this one thing from me. The only way you'll get better is to try something you've never tried. Fail, learn and keep going. I have a room in my house with hundreds of paintings I created, just of me trying things. They'll never make it anywhere, but it's getting me to that next step."
What are some proud moments that has shaped Matt into the man he is today? “Marrying my wife was my proudest moment. She is the most beautiful, respectful, and kind human I have ever met, and the fact that she chose me? No other pride will match that. My birthday was on Monday, and just the little things of people showing you some love that’s amazing. Those little things never get old. The fact that David and Morgan took a year out of their life to document me, like what? And then seeing people at the premier in one room that supports you will always mean a lot to me. When it comes to pieces, the Pociden mural in Plaza Midwood was the first multi-story mural I did, and doing that live and hearing people honking their horns and saying they love it.
Is there any specific piece of work that you’ve done that you can always remember or go back to that moment when you created it? “Of course, I won’t put it out there unless I’m proud of it. I don’t have business cards or a website, I truly believe that if you put all of your money and energy into the product and the experience that the client has then it will always work out. I’m never going to sign it unless you are impressed by it and more importantly I’m impressed by it. The Black Lives Matter mural — that was the coolest day I’ve ever had as a professional artist. Never have I been more proud of the city and my art friends coming together. If you’re not proud of anything youre doing then you’re wasting your time. I’d rather go down giving everything I have.”