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Moe Gram is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Denver, and works on a diverse array of mediums that include painting, mural, collage, and installation. Gram graduated from California State University, Bakersfield with a major in Visual Arts and a minor in Cultural Studies, during which she participated in a 6 month museum studies and studio arts program in Florence, Italy. Currently, Moe Gram is the Community Outreach Coordinator at RedLine Contemporary Art Center. From works on canvas to installations and murals, Moe Gram’s work is distinctive, engaging, and thoughtful. Through her signature color palette, messaging, and use of juxtaposition, Gram’s work encourages the viewer to absorb and reflect- for the betterment of oneself and collectively for us all.
Published on March 19th, 2023. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you fascinated with right now?
I am currently fascinated with nuance. My current works are heavily layered with sculpture, painting, and projection. These hyper maximalist works are encouraging a lot of wonder and play in my studio at the moment. To be less ambiguous, I am building installations/large scale collages, photographing them and then printing the images on transparency sheets. From there, I build new installations and use an overhead projector to project the previous images onto the new installations and photograph that work again. This process becomes insanely nuanced and the ways images and objects are in conversation with each other promotes more curiosity in me that feels limitless now. There are endless combinations of objects, paintings, sculptures, and projections. The vastness of this process excites me a lot.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
Historically, I have really struggled with my self-confidence. I was a person who frequently second guessed my decisions, was a bit of a people pleaser, and usually trusted someone else’s opinion before considering my own. Throughout 2022, I was heavily focused on my internal body. I said no to a lot of commissions, removed myself from a great deal of projects, and only took on projects that were rooted in experimentation, play, or anything that allowed me full creative autonomy. Now, I would give my younger self the following advice: “Please know that you are awesome. Don’t be so quick to doubt your seat at the table.”
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
2022 was an especially difficult year for me because it was the year of EXTREME DUALITY. Impactful people in my life died, and I made some big life choices and experienced back-to-back residencies through La Napoule Art Foundation in France and Friend of a Friend Gallery in Denver. All things in between were lovely and challenging, ultimately becoming a journey of self-love and adoration. I both had the best time and the worst time of my life in the same year.
This experience really forced me to dig inward. I focused a lot of my energy on developing a stronger spiritual practice and rejected jobs that felt antithetical to my own authenticity. [This] heavy focus on myself, in all things life and creativity, gave me a lot of freedom and agency in my world.
In my studio, my attention was on the development of artwork that felt authentic and genuine. This was a time of experimentation and playfulness. To spark some inspiration, I began scheduling a lot of studio visits. Inviting people into my space got me fired up. The conversations about what was possible gave me the motivation to take deep dives into my work.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
Three years from now, I see myself doing more set design and public sculpture works. I hope to be exhibiting work nationally and internationally. It would be truly sexy to have a larger studio space where I can focus on larger scale works, hire a staff, and make some big messes. I see myself having strong buyer and collector relationships that support my studio practice and create opportunities for larger design projects.
My list of dreams goes on and on. I think for the next three years, these ambitions are plenty.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I am in a constant state of checking in with myself while also working to have a lot of trust in life’s process. As I rebuild my practice I am making a conscious choice to be gentle with myself. I frequently ask myself "what do I need? What feels good?" As long as I am prioritizing what I need and what feels right, I am on board. The consequences will be accepted as they happen.
What are you fascinated with right now?
I am currently fascinated with nuance. My current works are heavily layered with sculpture, painting, and projection. These hyper maximalist works are encouraging a lot of wonder and play in my studio at the moment. To be less ambiguous, I am building installations/large scale collages, photographing them and then printing the images on transparency sheets. From there, I build new installations and use an overhead projector to project the previous images onto the new installations and photograph that work again. This process becomes insanely nuanced and the ways images and objects are in conversation with each other promotes more curiosity in me that feels limitless now. There are endless combinations of objects, paintings, sculptures, and projections. The vastness of this process excites me a lot.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
Historically, I have really struggled with my self-confidence. I was a person who frequently second guessed my decisions, was a bit of a people pleaser, and usually trusted someone else’s opinion before considering my own. Throughout 2022, I was heavily focused on my internal body. I said no to a lot of commissions, removed myself from a great deal of projects, and only took on projects that were rooted in experimentation, play, or anything that allowed me full creative autonomy. Now, I would give my younger self the following advice: “Please know that you are awesome. Don’t be so quick to doubt your seat at the table.”
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
2022 was an especially difficult year for me because it was the year of EXTREME DUALITY. Impactful people in my life died, and I made some big life choices and experienced back-to-back residencies through La Napoule Art Foundation in France and Friend of a Friend Gallery in Denver. All things in between were lovely and challenging, ultimately becoming a journey of self-love and adoration. I both had the best time and the worst time of my life in the same year.
This experience really forced me to dig inward. I focused a lot of my energy on developing a stronger spiritual practice and rejected jobs that felt antithetical to my own authenticity. [This] heavy focus on myself, in all things life and creativity, gave me a lot of freedom and agency in my world.
In my studio, my attention was on the development of artwork that felt authentic and genuine. This was a time of experimentation and playfulness. To spark some inspiration, I began scheduling a lot of studio visits. Inviting people into my space got me fired up. The conversations about what was possible gave me the motivation to take deep dives into my work.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
Three years from now, I see myself doing more set design and public sculpture works. I hope to be exhibiting work nationally and internationally. It would be truly sexy to have a larger studio space where I can focus on larger scale works, hire a staff, and make some big messes. I see myself having strong buyer and collector relationships that support my studio practice and create opportunities for larger design projects.
My list of dreams goes on and on. I think for the next three years, these ambitions are plenty.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I am in a constant state of checking in with myself while also working to have a lot of trust in life’s process. As I rebuild my practice I am making a conscious choice to be gentle with myself. I frequently ask myself "what do I need? What feels good?" As long as I am prioritizing what I need and what feels right, I am on board. The consequences will be accepted as they happen.
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