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For Moriah Piacente<\/a>, Athens-and-Atlanta-based artist, vintage fashion curator, and lover of all things weird, wacky, and wonderful, the lines between visual art and music are nonexistent. Blending the enigmatic charisma of Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka with the delicate, ethereal creativity of David Bowie, Piacente exists in a glittering, psychedelic, purple-tinted Victorian Wonderland where modern fashion caves to ’60s-Mod stylings and drudging normalcy is the only unwanted guest.<\/p>\n After her elegant yet visceral performance in Pip the Pansy’s “Siren Song,” I was thrilled to land an interview with Major Mars herself. Read on for a sneak peek into Piacente’s mystical world.<\/p>\n A<\/strong>F:<\/strong> Let\u2019s start at the very beginning: how were you introduced to visual art? When did you realize you wanted to pursue it, or that it was your life\u2019s calling?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n MP: <\/strong>Oh my gosh I am insanely excited and blessed to have my first ever interview with you! Thank you so much for having me! I would say it first sparked my interest I when was introduced to Of Montreal. The way they created this insane atmosphere and brought their own world to life made me want to do the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I’ve always been passionate about music, and, for a long time, I thought it was what I wanted to do with my life. I could never really fully express myself through it though. I started getting into fine art photography in 2015, and I was hooked. I worked with a photographer out of Athens, Ben Rouse, and he ended up introducing me to a bunch of amazing creatives in the Athens scene. That ended up connecting me with a visual artist, Dana Jo, who was kind of mentor to me. She asked me to be a part of her DJ set at the 40 Watt during Slingshot Festival 2016, and that was my first ever experience on stage! I realized that being able to express my passion for music visually was all I’ve ever wanted and more. As lame as it sounds, my soul ignited that night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n AF: <\/strong>Who do you consider your greatest inspirations? Was there any one person who made you say, \u201cThis is what I want to do with my life\u201d?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n MP: <\/strong>I’d say my greatest inspiration is David Bowie. I’m also very inspired by the director David Lynch, but I’d say I’m the most inspired by a good, strange film: Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, Weekend, The Holy Mountain,<\/em> and Clockwork Orange<\/em> are some of my favorite films to flip on when I want to feel inspired. I really love how visually stimulating and bizarre those films are. It made me want to create my own world outside of my mind that others could enjoy. I’m also just super inspired by the people around me. I’m lucky enough to know some amazing musicians and artists that inspire me on the daily.<\/p>\n AF: <\/strong>How has visual art allowed you to truly express yourself at times when you don\u2019t feel like you can otherwise?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n MP: <\/strong>I can be a pretty shy, awkward person when you first meet me. I can be really bad with words. I get nervous and shy and make myself feel small. However, when I’m creating or performing or whatever, I’m focused on that and putting my all into it. I put all of my emotion into it. And sometimes when I’m feeling super depressed or anxious, but don’t know how to say it, I can go and take that energy and create something beautiful from it. That’s probably why most of my art is a bit creepy. Depression and anxiety are feelings that sometimes don’t have reason backing them up, so when I can’t find the words, I just go be weird.<\/p>\n AF:<\/strong> You\u2019ve been part of some incredibly powerful performances with POWERKOMPANY, as well as music videos like Pip the Pansy\u2019s \u201cSiren Song.\u201d What experience has been your favorite? <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n MP: <\/strong>I’m super proud of everything I’ve done and been a part of! My favorite experience, so far, was driving down to Vero Beach with Pip The Pansy and three other girls to shoot the music video for Siren Song. I had never done choreography before, and I didn’t know these girls very well so I was super nervous! It ended up being one of the most beautiful and rewarding experiences ever. Pip is incredible, and I love that she’s always down to create and try weird things. Working with her is amazing!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.audiofemme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AfterlightImage-1-e1569345575125.jpg\")