MATT MOORE

Wants you to ride his bicycle

By NEIL MIROCHNICK

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Matt W. Moore's street-inspired "designs with an artistic eye" have shaped brand aesthetics for Burton, BlackBerry and Nike. His "Vectorfunk" illustrations, free-form watercolor paintings and massive aerosol murals have been showcased in Barcelona, Tokyo and Paris. Moore spoke with us about hand-painting road bikes for an upcoming exhibit, improving Boston's art culture and launching MWM Graphics, his one-man studio in Portland, Maine.

How long have you been making art?

My whole life. During my teen years in Acton, I got immersed in graffiti and graphic drawing. After high school, I spent three years Huck Finning it. I was traveling. My livelihood was selling T-shirts, prints and paintings. I've always felt it would be a compromise to do anything but art with my lifetime.

You left a design job at Burton a year and a half ago to focus on MWM Graphics full time. How big was the move?

When I reflect on my last 10 years, leaving Burton was the pivotal "holy shit, I'm about to do this" moment. I decided to "Freebird" it. I've always wanted to run my own show. First, I needed to pay my dues, make my network and learn the inner workings of the design industry. But now, with that experience and momentum, running my own studio is a reality.

MWM Graphics keeps you busy?

For sure. Every single day. I've got a yellow sticky on my desk that says "Get a team." People think that it's all swinging paintbrushes and clicking mice. I spend half my time explaining to people what plan to do, what I did and why I did it. It's a business. All day, every day.

Are there personal conflicts as an independent artist doing commercial work?

I pass on projects I don't think are positive. If it feels natural, I do it. If working one project means more time and resources to do exactly what I want, that keeps the lights on and the dream alive. Whether it was painting portraits for wealthy people, or M.C. Escher, Picasso or other amazing artists doing advertisements and posters, throughout the ages, some of my favorite artists worked commercially.

What is it, exactly, that you'd prefer to be doing?

This bike project and other skate/snow/surf projects are ideal. I'm working with brands I have a lot of admiration for. I'm immersed in the culture. Painting a bike is native to me. I ride every day. I want people to ride these bikes, not hang them up because they're scared to ride them. I do plenty of work that can only be hung up. Shred this bike for 10 summers, then hang it up and say it had a life.

After Somerville, you're headed to São Paulo. How does art in São Paulo compare to Boston?

São Paulo is the most painted city I've seen. Boston is amazing, but prude when it comes to art. I know people around the world making livings as fine artists without doing commercial work. I can't think of anyone in my circle doing it in Boston. And Boston is huge and super affluent.

How can Boston improve its art scene?

Art on the streets would help. If you walk 10 blocks in São Paulo, you see this whole world, this narrative—everything from scrawl graffiti to masterfully painted illustrations, to murals and amazing stuff. When I got back to Boston after a month there, I noticed there's hardly any graffiti and street art in Boston. It's all billboards and outdoor advertisements. It felt like there was less heart. Boston needs more publicly commissioned murals. Public art is good.

MOMENTUM

NEW WORK BY MATT W. MOORE

THROUGH WEDNESDAY 9. 9.09

ARTIST RECEPTION

SATURDAY 8.15.09

8PM-MIDNIGHT

GALLERY HOURS

MONDAY-SATURDAY

10AM-8PM

CHORUS GALLERY

285 WASHINGTON ST. #18SOMERVILLE617.666.6736

CHORUSGALLERY.COM

MWMGRAPHICS.COM