Elliott Muscat is a creative director from Toronto, recognized for his collaboration with music superstar Tainy. Within a broader artistic landscape, Elliott's primary focus lies in creating visual identities for musicians and brands. Central to his ethos is the belief in art's power to unify communities. He is driven by a commitment to transparency in his creative work, striving to illuminate every facet of the artistic process and extend an open invitation for others to partake in its journey.

"Scratch Disk Full," the exhibition, is a tangible embodiment of Elliott's digital repertoire. Here, his desktop is replicated, showcasing an extensive array of working files, projects, and tools created throughout his years in Toronto. Visitors were encouraged to immerse themselves in this interactive installation. In addition, Elliott also made all his files accessible via a QR Code that was available during the duration of the gallery.

Below is an interview between J'Don Mcsween (Capsul CEO) and Elliott Muscat.

What’s your key message behind all your work?

Creativity isn't about rivalry; we are collaborators meant to work together to craft meaningful art and foster positive change. At the heart of our community lies inclusivity, not exclusivity. Our purpose is to share, not hoard. By pooling our resources and ideas, we all grow forward.

Why so much chaos for a guy whose work is so clean?

In the words of Virgil “I work at a feverish pace.” I find that chaos is a point of reference. I’m used to working at a pace not many people are used to, but you’ll find that there are people who work even faster and longer than myself. With this, however, comes forms of chaos. The trick is to not let it influence the overall execution of the piece.

How long did it take to collect all these ideas?

Since I’ve been working on a book low-key with this concept, the idea was already there. It required zero overthinking. That's how you know you have something solid and pure; you don’t have to pull references or research. Take the moodboards and chuck them into the trash kinda thing.

What percent of your process is refinement?

I never try to put out anything that’s a step backward from my previous published work. Every project is pure refinement for me. I might even spend more time studying my old work than I spend actually working on it. I love art that gives you just enough information and substance that slightly annoys you in the best way. Like give the viewer just enough and then dial it back just a tad… that’s the sweet spot. This only works once you’ve refined your ideas for years. I still have a long way to go.

How do you deal with the modern relationship between an artist and making sure you can eat at night?

Until you’re making all your income from the creations you love, you will always have some projects just for income and some strictly for art. Work and relationships get compromised when you try to mash those two worlds together. Keep them separate for as long as you can until your authentic art (directed by you) starts making more money than your freelance gigs. As of right now, I’m still doing both. So technically I’m eating but not sleeping.

If the modern artist is a percentage of a businessman and an artist, what are your percentages?

This is the toughest question to answer. If an artist doesn’t make money, does that make them less of an artist? No way. I think business is entirely separate from art. You can be a great artist and lousy at the business side (we see this a lot in the music industry and honestly everywhere else). However, I’m definitely no stranger to business, which I believe has had a large impact on my success so far in my career. The percentage between the two is always changing in my brain, but I would have to say art always comes first no matter what. Intention before income, art before assets, truth before taxes. A few bars for you.



  

What keeps you going?

I strongly believe in my end goal and that it’s necessary for me to contribute my art to the world. To quote one of my favourite films; "That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

Do you have an end goal, or do you have things you are knocking off a list until you get to the end?

My end goal is to reach as many people as I can with my art in my most authentic self. I believe the best way for me to do so is through animated kids' films. My long term goal is to grow my skill set and network of collaborators to one day begin working on features that have an immense positive impact on the world. So stay tuned for my first animated kids feature film!

What does the word collaboration mean to you?

I’m not one to believe that art is meant for the self. I believe that art has its own identity that belongs to everyone, and all art projects deserve to have the opportunity to reach their full potential, whatever that may be. It is for this reason that collaboration is necessary for art to be great. I try to involve collaborators in all my work for this reason, and the art is always elevated and connects with more people for that reason.

What is your most important intangible skill?

Being relentless. If there's one thing about me that has helped me the most to get me to where I am, it's my ability to work my ass off. If I believe in something and it feels like it must be done, I will stop at nothing until I’ve finished and exhausted all possible options. Often times it’s easy to feel defeated, but I’ve found when I’m completely honest with myself and ask the question of “have you tried your best?” and “did you do everything you possibly could,” when I’m able to honestly answer those questions, then I know I’ve done the right thing.