Rising Stars: Meet Ted Moore

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ted Moore.

Hi Ted, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In high school, I asked my mother if I could remove my bed from my bedroom in order to make room for more important things. She said yes. I divided my room into three parts: my easel and art supplies, my drums, and a desk piled with books on language and literature. For all of high school, I slept on a foam mat with my head against the bass drum.

Since then, I’ve pursued each of those three interests. I studied Classics as an undergrad and then worked towards a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies before switching to performing full-time as a musician. I recently returned to school for a Master of Fine Arts. There was never a time when I wasn’t engaged in all three pursuits, hearing the siren call of these seemingly divergent areas of endeavor.

But it’s gotten easier. Today I’m a painter and woodworker as well as a teaching and performing musician, and I still read a lot and tend to over-analyze things. My MFA thesis is about transubstantiation in late medieval art as a metaphor for contemporary ecological ontology.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle for me aside from the usual concerns (How do I make a living? Is it worth it? Am I fulfilled? Am I helping others gain fulfillment?) has been figuring out how to pursue each of my interests in depth. When I was younger, I wanted earnestly to be a musician, an artist, and an academic – all full-time. I didn’t know how to combine my interests or allow them to cross-pollinate.

Fortunately, as I’ve grown older cross-pollination has happened naturally. To mix metaphors, I now switch hats more readily and feel that I benefit creatively. The way my earlier work in medieval studies informs and inspires my artwork was completely unexpected and very welcome. It feels as though I’m finally able to leverage my background to get into some really interesting creative areas that I didn’t anticipate. My path has been pragmatically unpredictable, but certainly fortunate. Turns out there is a way to pursue all these things, but it hasn’t been a straight path, and I could only see it in hindsight.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is all about trees and wood and what they say about ecology and the nature of being. I do realistic ink painting combined with small cabinetry. I’m very interested in historical devotional objects such as triptychs and reliquaries, and actively use that visual vocabulary to talk about ecology. I like the processes of learning and discovery, so often I’ll have a wooden cabinet that physically opens like a medieval triptych, or like a book, to reveal a detailed painting of a branch or something arboreal. The woodworker in me constantly thinks about frames, both actual and symbolic, and how they influence the way we engage with a piece. The painter in me is enthralled with close observation of naturalia, how the smallest branch contains worlds.

The combination of woodworking and realist painting – let alone my background in medieval studies – certainly puts me in a small subset of creative types. Whenever I discover or get to know a new artist, I’m always fascinated by their own hybridity. I’m very satisfied with the manner in which my passions inform and find expression in my creative life. I feel like I’m learning constantly, which is perhaps why I find my interests addictive. I need to feel that I’m learning, growing, and putting some good into the world all at the same time.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Happily, my family and I stayed healthy. But for me, Covid resulted in my primary income source, music performance, mostly disappearing for a year or two. I, therefore, had more time to spend making things, and I needed to in order to make ends meet. Suddenly, my wife’s common refrain regarding my art and woodworking – “You should put more of this out in the world” – seemed to make a lot of sense.

That shift was tremendously satisfying and inspiring and ultimately led to my going back to school for an MFA. A few years later, to my surprise, I’m still playing music, I’m starting to make a living as an artist, and I’m also researching academic topics that have long fascinated me. I guess like a lot of people, Covid helped me focus on what’s really important.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tedmoorewoodworkandart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedmoorewoodworkandart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tedmoorewoodworkandart 

Image Credits
Candace Cross Photography