1. Exclusive Interview with Mixed Media Artist Joe
Morris!
Tell us a little about yourself.
My Name is Joe Morris. I’m a Mix Media Artist and paint everything from canvas, murals, motorcycles,
guitars and cars. My work is hanging in the walls of the Ultimate fighting Championship UFC, I’ve done
work for Buddy Guy, Chris Chelios, NHL, Roger Penske and Indy Racing league to name a few. A full
Bio of myself is on my website atwww.joemorrisart.com I like to race motorcycles, build motorcycles,
play guitar and paint guitars as well. When I’m not painting I direct photo shoots for Leo Burnett in
Chicago. My hands are always dirty in something creative. I also play Hockey and stop pucks for fun
when I have the time.
What kind of art or performing do you do?
I’m a mix media Artist. I feel like I’m an analog photoshop human
being. From hand lettering to graphic applications, to collage,
painting, drawing, and illustration I try to make my art immediate
to the viewer that captures the soul of the work or image. I believe
Art is for the soul.
How long have you been doing this?
15 years.

2. Where did your inspiration come from?
Jackson Pollock for never letting people tell him how to do his Art. Warhol for being what I think is the
first mix Media Artist , Matisse for the flat graphic look and Basquiat for his type work and color were
some of the masters I looked up to. I also spent time in Brooklyn New York amazed by the wheat paste
poster graffiti happening in the 90′s
Do you remember the moment you fell in love with it? If so can you describe it?
My Trip to New York in 1996. and when I was in the Bronx the downtown bank was covered in it and I
couldn’t believe it.
What drew you to this particular field/talent ?
It was raw and weathered. Immediate and powerful. It wasn’t silkscreen which I’m not that big a fan
of…it’s too flat. It had texture, and cultural relevance that I wanted to bring into the fine Art world and
hang on walls in my living room.
Tell us about your current projects or activities.
I’m currently doing Artwork for a custom guitar boutique in California called Luxxtone guitars that is
letting me go outside the box of what traditional guitar paint jobs are made with. I also have an ongoing
show of my work at Catch 35 Restaurant on 35 West Wacker in Chicago. Right in the heart of the
Theatre district. The space is huge and is a great place to show my Large works.
Which of your projects are you most proud of and why?

3. I did a 300 ft mural for former Chief Creative officer of Leo Burnett for his new Company called the
Distillery Project that you can check out on my website at www.joemorrisart.com It’s mural that captures
the industrial westloop of Chicago and is so impressive I still can’t believe how it turned out.
Which of your projects do believe defines you as an artist the most?
I think the Mural work shows how conceptual I can be and how there are really no ends to what I can do
with my style. I’d really love to get more mural projects.
What sets you apart from other artists in your field?
People have said that my work feels vintage and new at the same time, like it’s timeless but also ground
breaking.
What is one of your most memorable moments/experiences in your field?
One was seeing my UFC Art Hung in their headquarters and doing a painting for Bruce lee’s daughter
that hangs now in her office in Santa Monica. It was also a time I did a series of Fighter paintings for the
UFC. I toured with Stephan Bonnar in a rented RV from Vegas to California. Some of the trip was
actually miserable for reasons I can’t explain in this interview but the experience was very memorable. It
was also the time I did a 13 ft mural of Charles Mask Lewis co founder of Tapout that died in a tragic car
accident. It was presented to Tapout at Mandalay Bay Casino, Las Vegas on memorial weekend.
What advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to when you first started?
I would get legal documents signed that protected my Art better! I’ve been ripped off a few times and
actually seen my work reproduced without my consent.
If you could be doing anything in your artistic/performing career right now, what would you be doing?
Large Corporate Murals.
How can people contact you or follow your progress?
www.joemorrisart.com
https://www.facebook.com/joe.morris.50 https://twitter.com/joemorrisart
http://showamerica.com/