| Contemporary figurative artist Jeff Musser's realized, even at a young age, that he could clearly see his physical appearance was indeed A Special Kind Of Existence. Musser comments, "The way that my white classmates and teachers treated me in elementary school versus the callous way they treated my darker skinned friends was extreme. Once it became known that I had formed friendships with children from the other neighborhoods, I noticed how invitations to birthday parties, sleepovers, and bike rides from the white "friends" in my neighborhood slowly diminished. On more than one occasion, teachers sent me home with notes of "concern" regarding how much time I was spending at recess playing with the children from the urban areas. As a child, I didn't have the knowledge to decipher all the coded language around skin color, but I knew internally that something was wrong. This observation stayed with me and evolved as I grew older."
Before he begins a new piece, Musser gathers photographs of family members, friends, his own sketches, and historical materials, from sources like the Library of Congress, to form a collage. For him the value of making collages comes from stitching together photos as a kind of fabric, extracting that cumulative information and then presenting it in the totally different form of a painting. This mode of working took on a special relevance for him when he started to examine his own identity within the construct of race as an American living overseas in China. His deep examination of his racial identity went into high gear with the election of Donald Trump in 2016.
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—alongside national ICE protests—Musser offers a glimpse into the origins of our national crisis. One way that he reflects on and approaches these events, falls loosely into the category of historical painting. The second aspect investigates the many ways race has affected his family. The painting titled "Undesirable, Swarthy Swede in 1817: Proud White Southerner in 1860" asks what was lost when his father's side of the family morphed from being not the right kind of white in 1817, to fighting proudly for the Confederacy in a single generation.
The exhibition also debuts charcoal on paper works that Musser completed at a recent artist in residency program at Chateau Bouthonvillier outside of Paris France. Influenced by transformative visits to the Musée National Gustave Moreau and PALAIS DE TOKYO, the charcoal on paper drawings stretch the formal conversations that anchor his practice.
"One of my goals with this work is to introduce and organize constructive, uncomfortable critiques within the art community around this volatile subject. I realize that the focus of my work is very sensitive, especially given the country's current political climate. But constructive confrontation is the best and often only path toward growth. I am willing to confront and be vulnerable about how I am feeling around this subject. My hope is that other people like me will be willing to look inward as well."
A Special Kind of Existence will conclude with a program on Sunday, March 22, beginning at 3:30 pm when the artist and Sanchez Art Center Curatorial Director Alida Bray will be together in conversation, followed with time for attendees to ask questions about Musser's work and process.
Sanchez Art Center is located at 1220 Linda Mar Blvd in Pacifica, about a mile east of Highway 1. Following opening night, the galleries are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 1–5 pm, and by appointment, through Mar 22.
The opening, talks, and gallery visits are free as part of the Center's focus on "Creating Community through Art".
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