Wet Paint – Meet Matt Moore: The Wolf (G.O.A.T)
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of a new series called Wet Paint, devoted to telling to stories of the people behind Charlotte’s mural community, by Matt Morrison, AKA @CLTGraffiti
Over 7 months ago, I started an Instagram account called CLT Graffiti (@CLTGraffiti). The premise was simple: ride my bike all around Charlotte, look for public art, take pictures, and document it one post at a time.
At the outset, I was completely uninformed and oblivious to what I was actually doing. I didn’t get it until a few months back, when local muralist, Osiris Rain posted on Instagram, “So proud of the CLT street art, graffiti, and mural scene right now! Our little baby is startin’ to grow up. ”
It was at that moment I realized: I wasn’t taking pictures of art, I was taking pictures of a movement.
Everyone is saying it — passersby, community members, small business owners and artists.
A Public Art Renaissance
We are witnessing a public art renaissance in Charlotte.
There have been countless hands to help build to this moment. The local grassroots art galleries, the local universities and institutions, community nonprofits like Brand the Moth, the small businesses. But most of all, it’s the artists. All of them. The street artists. The taggers. The wheat-pasters. The muralists. Each had a hand in building up to this.
They’ve petitioned to change policies, they’ve created outreach programs and festivals, they’ve enabled public engagement. Because of that effort, I’ve been fortunate to get to know many of them. What’s truly beautiful about this entire experience is: once you know the artist, the art is given context; whether intended or not, the art means so much more. It’s that feeling and wanting to share it that’s motivated me to want to interview our city’s public art talent. So please enjoy.
Learning More About Matt Moore
One of the artists responsible for this public art movement is Matt Moore (@PuckMcGruff), a tremendously talented and prolific artist who calls Charlotte home. You’ve probably seen his latest mural of Luke Kuechly that he and Matt Hooker (@hookermedia) just completed at ‘The Brickyard’ in South End, but he and his team have collectively painted gems all over this city. Like The Poseidon next to the old DQ in Plaza, or the three-story woman’s face with wolf eyes you can see while driving on I-277, that piece is called ‘Clarity’. There’s also murals of a three-eyed woman, an owl, there are a few queens, and wolves… lots of wolves.
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I had a chance to sit down with Matt and asking him some hard-hitting questions about his artistic process and his place in the Charlotte art scene.
CLTGraffiti: Why Art?
PuckMcGruff: It’s when I most feel like myself. But, aside from that, being able to make art and think abstractly and bend and twist reality, is one of the few things that separates us from every other animal on the planet. Why art? Because art is THE testament to being human.
CLTGraffiti: How do you break out of a creative/artistic rut or block?
PuckMcGruff: The trick is to have a strong creative muscle, so you don’t fall into one. As any kind of creative person, trying things that you haven’t tried is the number one exercise you can do to flex and grow your creative muscle. For me, it’s less about falling into a rut and more about constant improvement. I want to look back at things I did five years ago and say, “Yes, I’m getting better,” because if you’re not trying to get better, then what’s the point?
CLTGraffiti: Where do you find inspiration personally?
PuckMcGruff: Were all inspired constantly by everything around us, whether we know it or not; my wife, my best bud, Matt Hooker, social media, everything inspires me. But on a really personal level, My grandma. My grandma is the toughest woman that I’ve ever met in my life. She inspires me constantly. I very much like painting things with a little bit of an attitude to ‘em, and I’m sure there’s some of that, that comes from being related to her.
CLTGraffiti: Do you try to convey specific messages or meanings with your art?
PuckMcGruff: Sometimes, I feel like art should have a message and it should be pertinent to the times. But, I don’t think that should be the case all the time. I usually just like painting stuff that I see in my mind and I want to get it out — and that’s that.
CLTGraffiti: Tell me something people don’t know about the Luke Kuechly mural you and Matt Hooker just completed.
PuckMcGruff: that’s only the second full-color aerosol portrait I’ve ever done. To paint Luke’s face, I used probably 25 different colors of spray paint, which is why I usually do it monochromatic or in grayscale because it’s easier and there are fewer complexities to manage.
CLTGraffiti: What’s your favorite mural in Charlotte?
PuckMcGruff: My favorite mural changes. My favorite mural that went up last year was Twokat (@B_twokat) and Mike Wirth’s (@mikewirth) mural that went up on the side of Wooden Robot in NoDa. I really like seeing Brett starting to do murals.
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CLTGraffiti: Let’s talk about the local art scene. What are your thoughts?
PuckMcGruff: The art scene in Charlotte right now is on fire. I have a hard time talking about it because I don’t want to jinx anything. I’m so proud of how far we’ve come. Charlotte is a rare phenomenon, I think. It’s so crazy that we’ve had this opportunity to witness this growth and we should all be grateful and continue to nurture it.
I’m just one small piece of a much bigger puzzle. I feel so fortunate that I’ve had this opportunity to blossom as my own artistic self, but to also be a part of such a transformative time in Charlotte’s art history is really special. It’s hard to grasp at the moment.
CLTGraffiti: What’s one thing you wish people knew about you regarding your art?
PuckMcGruff: I hate all my artwork after I do it. There are only 2 murals that I’ve done, that I wouldn’t go back over and repaint completely.
We have such a limited time. All that matters is how you spend your time. If you’re spending your time below average, what kind of a story is that when you’re dead and gone? If you’re not trying to be better all the time — and trying to be the best you can be in the moment — you’re wasting your time.
Who Should We Interview Next?
Well said, Matt. As a hope to continue to capture this artistic renaissance in the moment, we will pick up this conversation next month as we interview an artist suggested by Matt Moore himself.
CLTGraffiti: What Charlotte artist do you think we need to interview next?
PuckMcGruff: Jen Hill.
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