By Chris Bavender
When Fishers High School graduate Tyler Moore left Indiana University with a degree in informatics, he was also walking away with a passion for art.
“In my sophomore year, I found the works of John Singer Sargent and early works by Picasso, which inspired me to dedicate time to art as a practice,” said Moore, who graduated from FHS in 2015. “In college, I would spend as much time as possible painting and practicing piano while at the same time attending classes and doing homework.
“I took art classes at IU, but I found them lacking in any sort of technical training, so I decided to look beyond IU.”
Through Instagram, Moore, 24, found The Florence Academy of Art, which reminded him of the type of school Sargent had attended. During his senior year, Moore – who now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. — applied with the works he had been making in his living room studio and was accepted.
After graduating from IU, he moved to Jersey City, N.J., to attend the school under Amaya Gurpide and Jordan Sokol, two modern masters.
“It completely redefined art for me, and it was a very exciting transition,” Moore said.
The COVID-19 led to the permanent closure of the school, so Moore transitioned enrolled at the Grand Central Atelier in New York City under Jacob Collins.
“I learned so much in this time as I felt I had a second chance to apply the skills I had learned at The Florence Academy, and I felt my technique develop much more,” Moore said. “I then went into the painting year there and have since left the atelier system pursuing a professional career with commissions and sales, giving me some momentum.”
Moore describes his art as a “pursuit in the tradition of the old masters that have inspired me.”
“It’s not that I’m trying to copy them or imitate their technique, but rather finding the freedom in my own sense of sight connected to my hand that they achieved,” he said. “I wish to translate my experience of life onto the canvas the same way they achieved, and that is my sole goal.”
Moore focuses mainly on landscape and portraiture but also works from other subjects such as florals.
“My goal in my artwork, though, is just to chase this perhaps impossible goal of a complete translation of my experience of life itself to the viewer,” he said.
Moore, a self-taught pianist who supplements his income teaching piano lessons, said inspiration comes from many places and many people, living and deceased.
“I think the biggest inspiration for me is just my ability to make an impact with my work the same way the people that inspired me to do what I do were able to,” Moore said. “There is a list of masters that I have put all my efforts into studying, including Ilya Repin, Diego Velazquez, John Singer Sargent. Rembrandt van Rijn, William Bouguereau, Sorolla, and so on.”
In high school, Moore didn’t envision becoming an artist.
“If there was one thing I thought I never had the talent for, the lack of ability, any inspiration for in high school, it was art,” he said. “It is the absolute last thing I thought I would ever be doing professionally, but through a series of life experiences I have had I have found that it is a true integral part of who I am. I find that following your curiosity will naturally lead you to your path, and that is exactly what has happened for me.
“I love all the things I do and many people I have met along the way.”
Moore’s advice to young people is to follow their dreams.
“Your happiness is the gateway to giving happiness to others, and if you have passion for something, you are giving something valuable to the world and those immediately around you,” he said. “Follow your curiosity and do not be afraid. Your youth is the time to be brave, to be unconventional. I went from being an IT guy to having my artwork hang in famous people’s homes, commissioned by extremely influential people, etc.”
In the next five to 10 years, Moore sees himself expanding beyond art.
“I can’t tell you where I will end up based on just the last three years of my life, but I know it will go beyond just art,” he said. “I will never abandon art for as long as I love, and I feel the same for music. I hope to tour and paint my life on the road playing music at night and painting in the days. That’s the dream anyways, we will see.”
For more, visit tcmoore.co. To inquire about a piece, visit [email protected].
