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In the early stages of life, all children draw. Once a child has enough strength to hold an object in their hand and given the opportunity to draw, they will. Drawing is the first real language we learn. Then at some point most of us abandon that language for something we fell is a better fit. When Mr. and Mrs. Musser noticed their son was spending almost all his spare time drawing, they thought nothing of it. It seemed normal, until they saw what he was drawing. It seemed that their son had not only embraced the visual language, but was attempting to write his own language. "When he brought out this perfectly rendered drawing of a Transformer toy, we both just stared at each other with out mouths open." Notes Mrs. Musser. "At that moment we knew we had to do whatever we needed to do so he could pursue this."
Jeff Musser transferred to the School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 1997 and earned his B.F.A in early 2000. Upon graduation he thought that his daytime job, designing Happy Meals for McDonald's, would leave him plenty of time to paint in the evenings. But once the economy tanked after 9/11, he was another face in the sea of jobless Americans with tons of free time. On the upside, he now had all day and all night to paint. On the downside he now had to deal with issues of rent, bills, supplies, food and how to overcome the much-romanticized notion of a starving artist. " It was rough for a while. I was on food stamps and down to 140 pounds (healthy weight for his height is between 160-170 pounds). You could have played my ribs like a xylophone I was so skinny. But that's how you appreciate what you have accomplished, you have to suffer mentally and physically to gain understanding and knowledge."
Form, composition, color, and technique are all paramount in his work. " I work much like the old masters that laid down the foundation of painting; in solitude, with my subject and my medium. I make my canvas the way Velasquez did, but without assistants. I cut the wood myself, I construct the frame, I hand stretch the canvas; I apply the scolding hot rabbit skin glue to protect the cotton fibers from the oil paint. I apply multiple layers of gesso. I use a pencil to draw out the composition. And before I form the actual painting in oil, I sit motionless in front of the canvas for hours, hoping and praying that what I create will succeed. Sometimes I succeed, but most times I don't. I'm terrified yet exhilarated every time I begin a new project. The fear of failure keeps me motivated."
Floral still life's, personal loss, issues of body image, portraits of art icons like Wayne Theibaud / Mel Ramos, his subject matter is very diverse. " My new direction reflects my interest in the art of tattooing. I have been interested in the art form since childhood but only recently felt I could adequately express that interest in my work. My current direction will explore why people use the ideas an imagery of another to express who they are in such a permanent medium. In addition I will explore how a society's views can be projected onto an entire culture and how that culture, through decades of influence, can shape peoples perception and how those perceptions become "mental tattoos."
Jeff currently resides in Sacramento California, feel free to say hello.
Resume
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