In March of 2016, I was driving south on Oviedo Blvd. one day on my lunch break and drove through the roundabout close to Oviedo on the Park like I had many times before. However, this time was different. As I drove through the roundabout on this day it hit me that there should be a work of art in the grassy area in the middle of it. It was as if God whispered the idea into my ear. I loved what I was hearing.
After picking up my lunch that day I wrote an email to then Oviedo Mayor, Dominic Persampiere, to share my idea of putting a statue/monument in the middle of the roundabout. To my surprise he actually responded! He stated that he thought it was a great idea but that the city didn't have a process in place for approving such a thing. City council then appointed myself and several other Oviedo citizens to the Oviedo Public Arts Committee that was charged with writing an ordinance that would go on to establish the Oviedo Public Arts Board (OPAB) in 2017. This board then established the process necessary to approve public art projects in the city and is still working hard to bring wonderful works to public property.
The first two projects approved by OPAB were the Black History of Oviedo mural in Round Lake Park and the Oviedo Postcard mural in Center Lake Park. Both murals chosen for their detail and vibrant colors were painted by this month's OWSAA Feature Artist, Xavier Moss.
Xavier Moss
Black History of Oviedo mural at Round Lake Park in Oviedo.
Oviedo Postcard mural at Center Lake Park in Oviedo.
Xavier was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule recently and answer some questions about his art, his career, and more. Enjoy what he had to say!
Who/what inspired your love of art? At what age did you become interested in art?
I would say particular circumstances played the biggest part in me beginning to sketch and draw regularly. In addition to having severe asthma when I was younger, I had a penchant for finding the most unique ways to injure myself in team sports, so it was decided early on that I wouldn’t be doing those. Sketching and drawing had always been fun and I just began doing that more in the time slots where practice would’ve been. That happened when I was about 6 or 7, which was also when I was introduced to Star Wars for the first time. The imagery, strange creatures and starships set my creativity ablaze, and I could frequently be found hunched over a ream of paper, making all manner of sound effects from a galaxy far, far away, as I recreated scenes from the saga. My parents supported this interest by introducing me to new kinds of art tools to use, and having an older sister who was a fellow creative definitely inspired me to lean in and grow on that track.
You have a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in biological illustration from UF. What made you choose that degree focus? What was the most valuable lesson you learned about art during your time at UF?
I do! It is an extremely niche major – isn’t it? I had to apply to get into that major after I’d been accepted to UF because you’re basically taking up spots in the College of Liberal Arts and The School of Art + Art History! I chose that degree focus because I’d always had a love of natural history, and when I found that the field of biological illustration would allow me to combine my appreciation for nature and my passion for art, I was sold! Also, it’s the only program of it’s kind in-state, so it was fingers crossed when I applied to UF! If that hadn’t worked, I probably would’ve majored in Biology with a minor in Illustration at another Florida school.
I think the most valuable lesson I learned about art during my time at UF was to construct with constructive criticism. Whether it was adjusting how I was holding the charcoal during an extended figure drawing exercise, learning from peers how they were able to achieve such luminosity, or having my eyes opened to techniques I’d never thought possible, not taking the sharing of such knowledge as an indictment of the inferiority of my work, but a desire to make it stronger and actually following through with those recommendations has been huge. Still today, when I see an artist doing something incredible technique-wise, I’ll respectfully ask how. You can only grow as an artist as long as you’re willing to intake what is sometimes bitter constructive criticism, and transform it into the next stylistic evolution of your work.
I've noticed that you work with different paints, pens, and markers among other mediums. What is your favorite medium of art?
I am indeed a mixed media artist! That’s a hard one – it just depends on the type of piece I’m working on. For larger paintings, it’s a combination of acrylic and latex paints, with paint markers. For more illustrative work, it’s watercolors, Copic Markers, and Microns, among many other types of brush pens and markers. I like being able to stay consistent in my style across different media, so whatever tools best allow me to do that, those are my favorite.
You've become famous in Oviedo for your murals which are all great additions to our community. Which mural was the most challenging? Do you have one that you are the most proud of?
Thank you for saying that! I’m glad that the community can enjoy them. Each mural has it’s own particular set of challenges and learning curves, but I’d probably say the Oviedo Postcard mural at Center Lake Park was the most challenging for the following reasons:
- It was my first mural ever so very much a baptism by fire in figuring out scaling up my design from an 8.5 x 11 in. paper to about 240 square feet.
- We had A LOT of cold snaps in late 2019 and since it was right by the water, it got extra chilly when working at night.
- Working full-time at Lawton Elementary meant that I could only work on weekends or immediately after school, so there were a few sick days taken in order to meet the December deadline.
- I had never had so much public scrutiny as I was creating a piece live, so that took some getting used to, but our community is awesome and most folks were supportive and excited to see the in-progress aspects.
I think I’m proudest of them all equally, but for different reasons:
- I’m proud of the Center Lake Mural because it was me tackling a medium of art I had never previously considered myself capable of doing, and I did it!
- I’m proud of the Round Lake Mural because I stood resolute on some design changes that I believed made it more Oviedo-centric, even appearing before City Council covered in paint, and was able to keep those changes.
- I’m proud of the Sports Hallway Mural at the Aquatic Facility because it’s literally my largest mural to date, and I was able to capture passions of the community not yet encompassed in the other murals.
I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and the more art I did, the more I wanted that to be a studio. But I’d also become aware that I didn’t see a lot of engagement of the visual arts in ministry, and rather than complain about that lack, I wanted to be part of an actionable solution to that problem. I believe that the visual arts have a way of talking about God that isn’t “force-fed theology.” People can engage with my work at a purely aesthetic level, admiring the principles of biological illustration, or they can go deeper and ask, “Why are those pigs jumping off a cliff?” If two individuals of different worldviews happen to be looking at the work together, they can collaborate with one another to come to a more holistic understanding of the piece. That’s what my current body of work – Biblelogical Illustration – is all about, the intersection of natural history and Scripture.
Can you explain what it has been like to start/own your own business? Do you have any advice for others considering starting their own arts business?
It’s been a never-ending learning process honestly haha. I’m growing daily in my entrepreneurial skills, finding out more particular niches I can fill, figuring out what to outsource rather than do all on my own, keeping track of expenses, and so much more. It’s intimidating, not gonna lie, but I relish doing the work to make something with God that truly allows me to fulfill my call to create…and that makes it socially acceptable for me to be covered in paint as I run my errands across Oviedo.
For those considering starting their own arts business, the best advice I can give is to – in the immortal words of Shia LaBeouf screamed at full volume, “JUST DO IT! MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!” But really, file the paperwork, find a mentor whose working in the field you’d like to enter and ask them questions. You won’t ever know if you can be a business owner until you are one, so start small, knowing you’ll make mistakes and facepalm-worthy moments, but with a growth mindset to not let those disappointments derail you. If you need someone to say you can do this, then allow that to be me, “You can do this!”
Lastly, as you alluded to earlier you are a huge Star Wars fan. Who is your favorite character and why?
Haha, you are right indeed. My original dream job was to be a concept artist for the Star Wars movies, but when I thought they were never gonna make another Star Wars film back when Episode III came out, I switched gears and opted for biological illustration. As for my favorite Star Wars character, oooof, that’s a question. I’ll give a favorite main, and a favorite background one.
My favorite background characters are the Emperor’s Royal Guards, yes I’m fully aware I’m going mega-nerd level here, but their striking all blood-red garb against the neutral blacks, whites, greens, and greys that are the Imperial aesthetic just make them seem like such a force to be reckoned with. Like they don’t ever say a word, but the fact that the entire color budget of the Empire went to these silent sentinels speaks to their deadliness.
My favorite main character is probably Padmé Amidala. I resonate with her desire to find the solution that benefits everyone best, the frustration when nobody wants to compromise in order to make that happen, and the willingness to put aside diplomacy and engage in “aggressive negotiations,” when the time is right. I don’t quite have the wardrobe budget or elaborate hairstyles she’s got, but definitely wouldn’t mind one of her very elegant, chromium-plated starships.
----------------------------------------------------------
I want to thank Xavier for being willing to participate in this month's OWSAA Feature Artist article. He is a talented artist, a wonderful member of our community, and an overall great person if you haven't had a chance to meet him yet. Best of luck on all your future art endeavors, Xavier!
Xavier currently has 16 pieces from his Biblelogical Illustration collection on display at the Avalon Park Arts & Culture Center through September, as well as 9 on display at ART@éclat Contemporary Art Gallery. He plans to get involved in some local art festivals in the fall, and invites you to follow him on his social media pages listed below to stay up to date on his activities:
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/XMOSSART
Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/xmossart/
Twitter at https://twitter.com/xmossart
If you would like to reach out to Xavier to commission a work you can email him at info@xmossart.com.
Thank you all again for visiting the OWSAA blog and I hope you enjoyed this article. As always, Enjoy the Arts!
Brian K. Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment