Jayson Musson

Jayson Musson
Born	1977  The Bronx
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania University of the Arts Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
Website	jaysonmusson.com

Jayson Scott Musson is an artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. ^[1] He was born in Bronx, NY.

Early life

In an interview in Nat. Brut magazine, Musson said that he grew up in Spring Valley, New York, about 25 minutes from New York City. ^[2]

He stated that he was "pretty much a very quiet kid" who "didn’t care too much for athletics or whatever, just drawing." ^[2]

Education

Musson earned a BFA degree in photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2011, he completed an MFA in painting from the University of Pennsylvania.

Music

Musson is an original member of the Philadelphian rap group Plastic Little, formed during the summer of 2001. A track from the group, "Miller Time", was sampled by Baauer in his 2012 song "Harlem Shake". The Baauer track went double platinum in the United States ^[3] and inspired a viral internet trend.

Along with Plastic Little, Musson performed with British producer Mark Ronson, as well as collaborated with a number of notable Philadelphian acts including Spank Rock and Amanda Blank. ^[4]

Video performance

In 2010, Musson created the character of Hennessy Youngman, which subsequently became an Internet phenomenon through the popularity of the "Art Thoughtz" video series. ^[5] Musson publicly divides his persona with the character's by referring to Youngman as his "cousin". ^[6] Musson's "ART THOUGHTZ" series is distributed internationally by Electronic Arts Intermix. ^[7]

Solo exhibitions

• 2002: Too Black for BET, Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA
• 2006: Too Black for BET, Episode II: The Black Boy George, Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA
• 2008: Too Black For BET, Dazed & Confused Magazine Gallery, London, England
• 2011: Hennessy Youngman & Nathaniel Snerpus Present: The Grand Manner, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA
• 2011: Neoteny: The Hard Sell, Marginal Utility Gallery, Philadelphia, PA,
• 2012: A True Fiend's Weight, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA ^[8]
• 2012: Halcyon Days, Salon 94, New York, NY
• 2016: The Truth in the Song, Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, Philadelphia, PA ^[9]
• 2022: His History of Art, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA ^[10]

References

1. "Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction; Artists; Jayson Musson". artintheage.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
2. "[Interview] Jayson Musson Bum In Suit Mistaken For Important Man". Nat. Brut. Interviewed by Kayla E. Fall 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
3. "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
4. Pytlik, Mark. "Interviews Diplo". pitchfork.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
5. Boucher, Brian (March 24, 2011). "Ali G With an MFA: Q+A With Hennessy Youngman". artinamericamagazine.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
6. "Tuesday Evenings at the Modern Fall 2011 Schedule; October 4; Jayson Musson". themodern.org/. 2011. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
7. "Jayson Scott Musson Biography on Electronic Arts Intermix". eai.org. 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
8. "Jayson Musson Continues To Be Awesome, Made Art Out Of Cosby Sweaters". Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 22, 2012.
9. "Jayson Musson: The Truth in the Song | Fleisher/Ollman Gallery". www.fleisher-ollmangallery.com. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
10. Crimmins, Peter (July 25, 2022). "Jayson Musson explains art history as a sitcom, at Philly's Fabric Workshop". WHYY. Retrieved January 10, 2024.