Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Muller.
Jeff, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always been interested in art. From day one, I opted to take drawing classes than play sports. I pursued a degree in industrial design and got my BFA from the University of Kansas. Upon graduating (2008 – perfect timing as the economy nearly destroyed itself) I moved to Boston to design life jackets. After a few years I transitioned into user experience design. As a way to keep being an artist on the side, I bought my first nice camera three years ago.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m an artist trapped in a designer’s body. Design is what I do for a living and art is what I do stay alive. I don’t intend that to sound as dramatic as it does. If I hadn’t been far enough along in my industrial design degree, I would have likely become a sculpture major. Thank god I didn’t because I’d be broke. Art is where you can really express yourself and answer to no one. Design is the application of art and science to solve problems. It also means you’re usually doing work for other people. This as any design consultant is aware, is painful.
For the last few years, I’ve been wrestling with the idea of what I am trying to say. Good art tells a story and makes a point. I think my style is in your face. I gravitate towards strong compositions, beauty, interesting conceptual art, or striking colors. You can even see this in my design work.
There is so much we overlook on a day to day basis and I want my work to reflect that. I don’t think I’m quite there yet. It’s taken a long time just to get comfortable with the medium and I’m always experimenting. Eventually I would like to end up in a place where people view my work and come away with a different perspective on something familiar. When it comes to portraits, I’m not even close. My goal for the rest of the year is to shoot more concepts that tell a story or present an idea, and not just ‘Hey that’s pretty.’
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
Learn to tell a story. You’ll hold someone’s attention much longer than if your image is simply a pretty scene. Cameras have gotten so good that phones can take print quality photos. Think about what sets you apart, what you’re trying to say and how you want to say it. If that involves experimenting with other mediums then do it. While an iPhone camera can shoot about as well as anything you’d see in National Geographic, it won’t give the operator the idea behind the photo. Print out an image and doodle on top of it. Try making a collage or smear paint over your prints. While a good way to practice is to copy artist you like, it’s not a good way to set yourself apart.
The other advice is practice. Practice even if you don’t feel like practicing. When you’re not practicing think about how you’re going to practice.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I post most of my photography on Instagram @Designmeaportrait and @jeff_m8
My design work is up on www.jeffmullerdesign.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jeffmullerdesign.com
- Email: jeff@jeffmullerdesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designmeaportrait/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designmeaportrait/
- Other: https://instagram.com/jeff_m8/
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