Musso grew up in the wild foothills of the Motherlode, just 20 miles from where gold was first discovered in California in 1848. Musso’s childhood was filled with exploring the forests, rivers, and mountains of the Northern Sierra Nevada. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design and Printmaking respectively at California State University, Long Beach.
While Musso enjoys living in the urban environment of Southern California he finds it important to ‘run to the hills’ for extend- ed periods of time. In the wilderness he hikes (~4,000 miles to date), sketches, photographs, and creates rubbings of natural objects. This extensive documentation of the natural world then becomes the reference material for his intricately detailed prints and drawings. In addition to creating art, Musso is a professor in the Art + Design department at La Sierra University in Riverside, California, and is the Director of the Brandstater Art Gallery. Musso exhibits his work internationally with works in both museums and private collections. |
Statement:
A planet’s worth of entertainment now resides in everyone’s pocket along with the social expectation that everyone be ‘on’ at all times. For many the consumption of content, manipulation of digital devices, and the illusion of creativity through the selection of products defines our conception of ourselves and our reality. This ‘always on’ lure of diversion and distraction is a powerful narcotic. The fact remains however, that in spite of everything digital, we are physical beings living in a physical environment. The physical world is an astonishing place and one of the best ways to truly see and approach some sort of understanding of it is by traveling on foot—freed from the technological world. This simple and ancient activity slows time and provides one with focus in the present moment and place. The act of seeing, sensing and being is profoundly intense. To fully engage with this intensity one has to respond in some fashion. As a visual artist Tim Musso responds by creating visual images that make visible some of the intricate relationships of insects/animals/plants/geology so often overlooked and underappreciated in the fast paced times in which we live. |
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I'd like to thank the great print assistants we had on this project: Jason Clark, Crystal McCallie & Allison Peschek.
This project is made possible with the generous support of the following: