FEATURED INTERVIEWS 07                             

Moz

Moz's Artwork is truly one of a kind. From dripping sessions to painting, Moz always manages to capture the expressive life of the painting. We talk to the creative mind about his paintings, music, women, Elvis Presley and Andy Warhol.

By: Gian Erguiza



Gian: Who is Moz?

Moz: I'm just a nice boy, very polite, with a perfect hairstyle. A stupid entertainer! A very shy boy... This is why I stay in childhood to play with funny toys in a sweet place with understanding girls and the best music...

Gian: Your artwork is truly beautiful and one of a kind. What inspires you to paint the way you do?

Moz: I suppose I've been struck by images. The main things are coming from old movie scenes (which were, at the begining, the only things I wanted to paint, along with titles of songs). I got like punched in the face when I opened an adult magazine for the first (Of course I'm thinking about 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's mags. After these years, modern adult material belongs to your world, but not mine...)

I'm in absolute love with anything that is attractive. This is why I mix shots from old movies or images of beautiful girls taken from vintage mags, with toys, and especially instruction booklets (many are very nice and well designed). Some people are attractive, toys are attractive, as well as instruction booklets, explanatory drawings, street signs, packagings, etc... And I think that the best way to have some fun in this sad world, is to change the original meaning of all these things! It is very interesting to distort your mind. This is why you can find in my work some girls mixed with toys' user guides coming from packagings found in the street. Everything is here, around us, you just have to open your mind... My mind is completly distorted and I'm always wondering about which story I could write, between a perfect nude girl coming from a nice magazine and this dirt packaging on the pavement... When kids throw a party, I keep the packagings of all the toys for my work! Maybe a shrink could explain this better than me...

Gian: How long have you been painting and what was your first painting?

Moz: As an Art student in Paris in 1987, during the illustration class, the teacher asked us to paint somebody's portrait. The size was very small (3x3 inches), and we had to do it with at least 10 differents techniques! I was 17 years old at the time and just wanted to work in advertising! So I chose a JFK picture. It was very nice and most importantly had the good size!! So I tried to paint this man using differents techniques. At the time I had no idea about painting, techniques, illustrations etc. Eventually I made about 5 or 6 different portraits, some of them more interesting than others. One of my favorites was a head with the colors of the Statue of Liberty, made with 4 tons of the same colors to create shadows and lights. After this exercise, that year, the same teacher asked to us to make an advertising for Ray-Ban with an original illustration. I made a "rough" with the same style I used for JFK and I thought it was OK. It was but he asked for an illustration and not a rough. So I painted an image of Mc Arthur with a style similar to mine today, except that it was small-sized and that I painted with a toothbrush and masks to create a relief. The result was as if I had painted with mud. There were a lot of imperfections and I was thinking that the rough was enough...

The day after, in the classroom, we had a string with clothes peg to hang each illustration so the teacher could make a comment in front of all the students. It was horrifying!!! It was like that everytime and impossible to go to the restroom during the evaluations! I saw that the teacher placed my work at the end of the string. I was sure he was going to make fun of me, but NO! For the first time in all my life, I had the best evaluation and the best grade of the whole class and of all that year's students too. It was really enough for me!!! I dropped school to work and make money to pay my rent, the bills etc... I spent a little time in an advertising company, then in different companies focused on advert or advertisings objects, the internet, etc, etc... I was always still painting at home. It was not steady but I was looking for a better place in this world... My actual first painting (on a canvas) was a portrait of an actress that I took from a magazine's cover. It was in 1990. I did not have so much time to work on my paintings during all these years of "real jobs" but I kept the idea in mind. Waiting for better day to come...

Gian: I can see that the majority of your images invoke women in various different expressions and positions, why do you choose women as primary images?

Moz: I told you that I was polite, Ladies first... To me, women are actually especially beautiful. So are men of course, but I don't know why, I'm very attracted by women's bodies. They are nice, sweet, sexy, comfortable, bitchy, sad, sparkling, graceful, touching, mysterious, bad, etc, etc, etc... And maybe also unfeeling... They impress me too. Don't forget that I'm still a kid who doesn't know why he doesn't have big breasts!!! I'm kidding... I'm not silly, I just know that they are toys for girls and toys for boys... Women, particularly women from the 60's, have perfect bodies. This is my opinion. If I had time, I'd love to pay tribute to every woman but something tells me that time will be a little short! Today girls are really nice too. Especially girls who, like me, live in a different time... (Today's pin-up models with a 60's style are just perfect!)

Gian: They say life imitates art. Do you agree?

Moz: This is a great idea! I will try it tonight. Honestly I don't think so. It could be so nice though. To live in a piece of art... Each time of your life would be a perfect movie scene or a great painting, poem, story, etc... It would be magic! I think just the opposite: Art can't be imitated but Art is coming from life.

Gian: If there was a painter that you would love to spend an afternoon painting with, dead or alive, who would it be?

Moz: Only one, the best one, with no hesitation (as Oscar Wilde said, I've the simpliest tastes in the world, I'm only satisfied with the best): ANDY WARHOL! The word "Artist" was created for him. He was not only the painter that all the universe knows but the greatest Artist of all times!! I'm a very big fan. He is one of my heroes. The best. His entire life was a piece of art. Or a piece of heart (because the world is still turning). I could spend my life trying to imagine what we could have done together in his studio one afternoon, like talking about skin problems, his dildo collection, fashion, shops, parties, artists, movie stars etc, I would still be about one million light-years away from what he simply did. He was considering himself as a machine, I agree with that but a great idea's machine!

In fact, our assistants would have worked together and we would have spent the afternoon at Macy's...

In dreams, we're recording a screen test...

Gian: Your dripping sessions are awesome. How did you decide when the expressive life of the painting has been done justice? Was it hard to tame?

Moz: You have a perfectly good taste! Nobody tells me about these paintings except some happy fews...

The Drippings Sessions are specific. This is the kind of things that you think about a long time before you start. It took some years for me. When you start, you don't know anything about the result. This was just an idea. No other example. So you try, with your heart bumping, and you can feel that you are more and more nervous. (it feels like a new date!) The canvas is getting more and more full but you can't stop... If you put too much painting or tar or something else, it's finished but missed. So I don't know how but you have to keep quiet and evaluate the situation and EVENTUALLY stop... Like a BANG! These paintings are a mix of a collage of papers on canvas with white painting, White Spirit and finaly Tar. You can't make a mistake. The result is strange. Is it clean or dirty? Who knows... I'm sure you think that this is done very quickly and that chance plays a big part in it, but it does not, everythings is planned... Sorry for the disapointement! I'm now thinking about Drippings with colors and tar. Maybe with more collages of magazines for example... We will see... The truth is in the colors...


Gian: Do you listen to music while painting and if you do, who do fancy the most and who is on your player now?

Moz: Always and forever!!! From the beginning of my life, music has helped me live.

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I was on my bicycle with my father near me. We were on holidays and going to my grandparent’s for lunch. I was very proud to be on the real road. The road for cars! Then at a crossroads, even tough we had the priority, the village's butcher popped out the road. He was driving very, very fast. We stopped in a hurry. I heard a big noise and I felt something on my head. I was sure that it was the end for me... But no. The butcher was now very far from us… But on the ground, I saw two LPs... This is how I met Elvis Presley. I had received these Elvis Presley's records right on the head and from this day I never stopped listening him...

I've got some pictures of him around me in my studio and some paintings I did at home. I think this was the real start for me with music. I listen music each day. It really is a booster for me. The song I am listening to can change my mood for the whole day. Very strange... I need music, different musics, to work. It depends on what I have to do.

At this time, in my player, you can find Elvis Presley, of course, Morrissey & The Smiths naturally, Jeff Buckley, Sondre Lerche, Brian Setzer, Richard Hawley (very precious), Chris Isaak, Roy Orbison, The Velvet Underground + Lou Reed + Nico, all the sixties’ bands coming from England or the USA (these are maybe the things I listen to the most). I often listen to the BBC too and particulary Mark Lammar and his Alternative Sixties' show... Not so far away stand The Cramps, The Fleshtones, Divine Comedy, The Pipettes etc, etc... (I was at the last Pipettes' show in Paris with one of my Daughter, she is only 6,5 years old!) In sixties’ bands, I really love when the singer is a woman. I discovered Little Barrie on MySpace. I saw them in a Paris' show. They are just AMAZING!

Gian: What does Moz consider to be a "Good time?"

Moz: Simple things... The first beer of the day, finishing a new painting, sitting in the studio with a drink of wine and liking this new image... Working on new paintings (the ideas, searches etc...) Walking in the streets and watching beautiful people, a kiss from her, being with my daughters and laughing with them, a good concert with my friends, feeling cold air around me...

When I take pictures with models and when I work on them later, it is a really good time. Maybe the « best good time » is to find something creative to do...

Gian: When you're not painting, what are your other indulgences?

Moz: Unfortunately for my family, my friends and sometimes for the people I have to work with, I only live for the painting!!! Otherwise I spend my time to buy old things to work on. All I can do is never really far from my Art. I'm done. When I go to buy something, anywhere, or if I'm walking in the street or eating in a restaurant, etc, I always look at people like a crazy boy! I can't stop imagining whether this person or this other one may be a new painting!!! I'm not really open to do a lot of things. I get tired very soon, and after all I will have all my death to sleep...

Gian: How does one get considered and get lucky to be painted by you?

Moz: If you've got something in your eye, please contact me... I'd love to receive too many pictures and requests from all the world. This is very pretentious, I know but I'm sure there are a lot of attractive people who could become a piece of Art... I particulary love the people who are living in a dream. The 60's fans will understand... I think any person has a kind of beauty, it depends on what your eyes see in them.

Gian: Any additional comments?

Moz: Well, now I'm working on a book written by my cousin and illustrated by me. It is a road movie in LA and there are many references with and links to my Art in it. A book about me is also coming out very soon. In a few months. It will be published by my gallery. I think it will be a beautiful book. Finally, I'm working on new collages with my Polaroid camera and all I can say is that they are absolutely fabulous! I'd love to make a book with my Polaroids actually...
That's it for now...

Thanks Moz!
For more on Moz and to see his work, log onto his site: http://www.mozpaintings.com