“A Love Story” features local Shreveport artists and a married couple

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KSLA) – Brittney Hazelton of ArkLaTex Artistry talks with Ben Moss of Shreveport about the documentary about him, his wife and their lives as professional artists.

Willis Wilburn’s documentary Acrylic A Love Story explores the bond and lives of Ben and Linda Moss, two well-known artists in the Shreveport-Bossier City art scene.

On May 17, Bossier Parish Community College aired the 60-minute documentary that explores the bond and artist lifestyle of Ben and Linda Moss, a couple who rose from the alleys of downtown Shreveport as artists to the walls of local art galleries.

“Ben and Linda Moss discuss the everyday hurdles of being a full-time artist and the sacrifices that come with being self-employed,” the Facebook event page says.

As an artist myself, the documentary really impressed me. It brought back memories of my time as an artist and the daily grind needed to maintain a balance between personal life and work. It was also a good insight into the personalities and processes of these two well-known ArkLaTex artists.

When asked how Shreveport-Bossier City could better support artists, Ben Moss suggests in the interview that projects should focus more on funding local artists rather than national artists. He also has other great ideas, such as what New Orleans has implemented by giving artists a mural/graffiti license that allows the artist to pay for an assigned space to work in public areas in the city.

Another idea was to create a graffiti park, as some cities, such as Houston, Texas, have already done. This way, anyone can go and paint in an area that would otherwise have been an urban wasteland.

“It puts your work in the spotlight. There’s no direct gain (for the artists), but people see your work and you might get some traffic,” said Ben Moss. Something like this would also bring more color and attention to the city. “What do we want? Do we want industrial gray and rust, or do we want colorfulness that feels better psychologically?”

Ben Moss believes that the artists in the community have a close bond with each other.

“I think a big part of it is that there seems to be a great solidarity among the artists there. Even among those who have completely different styles,” said Ben Moss. “I think all of our experiences as artists here are kind of the glue that holds us together, because we all have very similar obstacles and successes here. I really appreciate that we have such solidarity and a shared feeling among the artists here.”

Ben Moss

Ben Moss, also known as PLOID, is a Shreveport-based illustrator and muralist with a unique graffiti/comic style and a touch of rebellion.

“I make art that appeals to my inner 12-year-old latchkey kid. If it’s cool, I love it. Comics, skateboarding, punk rock, graffiti and lowbrow. These are the basic ingredients that go into the stuff I make, be it paintings, illustrations or large-scale murals. I use the visual language of my youth to express themes and messages that are important to me as an adult,” says Ben Moss on his website.

Linda Moss

Born in Shreveport and raised in Natchitoches, Linda Moss is an artist who works with acrylic paint, paper, fabric, and found objects. Emotion plays a large role in her inspiration as she creates beautiful, captivating art with vibrant colors that bring flowers, plants, objects, and people to life with intricate detail.

Stay tuned for updates when the documentary is released.

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