WCFW’s Fashion Five with Patrick Moskwa

By Salina Yara Halabi

If you checked out the Fall/Winter 2019 Fashion Week shows, you would have noticed some beautiful collage work on the tickets, and on the Young Blood backdrop behind the DJ booth. These interesting and thought-provoking pieces were put together by the talented Patrick Moskwa – an artist (and architect) from Calgary. We caught up with Patrick to get the details on his career path and where he looks for inspiration when creating his unique art.

Was there a certain moment in your life where you knew that you would want a career in the arts?

It was always ingrained in me, I think.  Growing up, I always had crayons and sketch books with me. When we would go on family vacations I would be sketching and drawing in the backseat of the car – and getting upset at my dad every time he went over a bump in the road! So, I don’t think there was ever a time where art wasn’t a curiosity for me.

I was always involved in art classes in Junior High and High School – I was always drawn to anything that was hands-on and creative. There wasn’t really a moment in my life where was like “Oh! This is what I want to do!”, until I was in high school and everyone was like ok, it’s time to figure out what you want to do. That was when I made the decision to go to Architecture school, which was kind of a mixture of all the things I was doing anyways – and it was also something interesting that I hadn’t done before. I was at home one night watching a documentary on history channel about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright and I was like “ok, I like that, I think I can do that – let’s give it a shot!”

How would you describe your style of art?

Messy. Maybe that’s just because of the process I go through – the end result may not be messy, but the process certainly is.  It’s based in collage and fragmentation, and the relationship of one individual subject matter or colour in relation to another piece of subject matter, and how that comes together to create something new. This is something that’s drawn through most of my practice. Whether graphic design, art or architecture, it’s finding these distinct pieces and putting them together in a way that communicates a whole story, and also an interesting story, or something that is provocative, or humorous, or absurd. I like to play around with absurdity quite a bit. It’s kind of fun to find objects and see what I can do when I put them together to create something that is a little more exciting and informative.

What are the first steps you take in the creative process when working on a new project?

It depends on the project. Because I work on so many different types of things – commissioned art work, graphic design, branding or architecture, it all depends on what the project is, who the client is, and what direction we are moving in. But, the process is usually always centered around the client. We sit down and talk endlessly about the project, about the client themselves, and what they are looking for. Mostly, it’s trying to get a good conversation going about who that particular person is, then I start to drive ways of being able to develop those ideas that embody the person.

Where do you look for Inspiration?

Oddly, furniture. I know, it’s really strange, because nothing that I do has furniture in it other than architecture! Even when I’m looking at designing a building, for some reason I get inspired by pieces of furniture – how they are used, how they are activated, and the way a person engages with it. I’ll flip through magazines and I’ll see a piece of furniture; a chair, a lamp or a bookcase for example, and there will be something interesting about the way a user is playing with it that will inspire something else.

In terms of collage, I’ll get sparked by something I see in magazines and then I’ll madly and quickly scan the stuff I’ve already cut-out. Sometimes I can find something that works together, or I’ll keep flipping through other magazines. Or, I’ll park it aside and as I’m developing something else; I’ll find something that works really well with it. But at the heart, furniture is what inspires me.

Is there a certain designer or collection right now that’s catching your attention?

I love fashion. I’ve always loved fashion. When I was about 13, I as doing a bunch of fashion sketches and I was like maybe I should go into fashion school? This was when Fashion TV was getting really popular in Canada! There is a certain intrigue I have with the conceptual moment Balenciaga is in – how they are pushing boundaries and playing with absurdity. Like that $2,000 Ikea bag! I find it absolutely hilarious for one thing, and really interesting when you’re thinking about it in terms of luxury and taking everyday objects and making them into a luxury piece.

So, it wouldn’t necessarily be because of Balenciaga’s clothes, although the clothes are quite striking, and the way they fit are really sort of unusual as though you sort of swimming inside this piece of cloth that has been folded, stitched, and embroidered. Balenciaga is one of the most provocative and exciting to watch – then listen to the controversy that happens. There’s controversy around it at every turn, and I quite like that. The fact that they are sort of shaking things up a little, even in terms of their business plan, is really interesting.

See more of Patrick’s work at patrickmoskwa.com or follow him on Instagram @patrick.moskwa.

Patrick Moskwa