ARTICLES
Mike Moses to Desecrate May’s First Fridays Artwalk!
Posted by: – Apr 20, 2009
(read the full interview with Mike in the new issue of RVA Mag NOW^!)
Jesus H. Christ, roommates screwing and 6th grade Karate lessons!
Throw a little poisonous ink (literally) and some lifelong theological angst in the mix and you’ve got yourself one hell of an art show. On May 1, 2009, renowned Richmond tattoo artist Mike Moses is bringing all of it to a head at 116 W. Marshall St. (beside Gallery5) during the increasingly popular First Fridays Artwalk in downtown Richmond.
When the doors open at 6 p.m., Artwalk guests will enter .mote., a vivid world of Moses’ most experimental and conceptual non-skin artwork. Guests won’t find pretty pictures of Richmond’s skyline, pop art fluff or the still life drivel that permeates similar Artwalk venues. Instead you’ll find Jesus, Krishna, dog hair, poisonous ink and the tattooed human pincushion of talent that conjured it all.
“I’m not one of ‘those artists,’” Moses says. “I’m not really sure where I fit in with any of the other people that do what I do. My work isn’t a reflection of my feelings so to speak. It doesn’t scream ‘RICHMOND!’ Thank fucking God for that. It doesn’t appeal to pop culture and it’s not a critique on the media or modern life or the
world at large.
“It’s simply ideas that make me happy, things that get me thrilled to get home and start to work again. It’s what I drift off in thought about. It’s scenarios and characters that I make up to amuse myself and entertain any small notion I might have,” Moses adds. Though the casual passerby could say that Moses’ show is themed around
religion, Moses is the first to admit that the works go deeper than a crucifixion nail.
“I’ve always thought that religion, most any religion, is fascinating,” Moses says. “I grew up in a very religious family of Southern Baptists and I went along with that for a while even though I was kind of always looking away to the more bizarre, more colorful, just plain more interesting religions. I was almost kind of jealous that these other people get to do all of these things to really take part in their religion -- fasting, swinging an incense burner, praying to saints, reliquary, calling on the powers of nature around a fire, the whole ritualistic part of what makes up belief systems, the not so gentle nods to those you call upon for help from the ether. That’s good shit!”
While Moses’ religious daydreaming and external seeking is the backbone of his show, don’t expect to see grand angelic auras of heavenly hosts -- at least not ones like you have ever seen before. His execution blends the spiritual, sometimes imaginary world of religion with images from the real world to create the ultimate
theologian’s nightmare.
“It’s a conglomeration of all religions and beliefs that I could find from Krishna to native American beliefs and everything in between,” Moses says. “I’ve made the paintings the deities as ideas rather than actual conscious beings. It’s almost like a meditation -- to fixate on the idea the painting is based off of. “It’s all a play on the idea that we have the power to alter reality and govern things by will.”
At the show, guests will experience a mix of paintings, which are benevolent in nature, and a series of ink drawings, which are very malevolent in scheme. Though the paintings were created with traditional acrylic paints, the drawings were actually created on watercolor paper by using Moses’ handmade pokeberry ink, which is highly poisonous if ingested.
“I chose the pokeberry ink because I thought it was an awesome idea and because its poisonous nature goes right along with the dark nature of the drawings.”
Guests of the show will also have a chance to take a little of Moses’ passion home with them. Throughout the creation of this show, he has been chronicling the entire process. At the show, attendees will be able to purchase a signed and numbered limited edition full color book which tells the entire story.
“That way anyone that wants to really sink their teeth into this body of work can have it all,” Moses says.
Guests will also be able to purchase quite affordable prints of any of the 13 works, which are available in a small size ($40) and full size ($100). Of course, originals are also available for purchase.
Kent Jennings Brockwell
Comments
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
