Jasper Muse and I crossed paths this summer in Rockport, Maine at a photography class. He is a photographer and beat maker in Maine. His photos may be of dirty scenes sometimes, but they still have a clean open feel. There are these great little details tucked into many of his photos that get you to think what’s the story? What is going on here? I caught up with Jasper after returning home from Maine to see what he was up to and talk the creative life. When I spoke with him, he was hanging out at a demolition derby. Jasper set the scene and I could picture it well. While I was comfortably sitting at home, Jasper was talking to me leaned up against a destroyed car that had a fire extinguisher, carpeting and nothing in the back. He described a demolition driver that had a helmet on looking regal. The driver went to jump into the car and fell out. There was a lot of noise in the background, but Jasper insisted that we continue with the questioning saying he was feeling good-pumped. It was kind of like what a football player might say going into a championship game. Being at a demolition derby with all of the cars, the dirt, the action of the scene, will hype a person up! So despite the action in the background, the interview proceeded. I did my best to keep up and write all the details down. Nonetheless there is some paraphrasing.
CP: “Who are your mentors?”
JM: “Professors in college but right now my friends…being mentored by everyone around me…shout out to all of my instagram followers; Tommy Bruce, Mom; thanks to Parker Stewart for the web feature.”
CP: “Was creativity a part of your childhood?”
JM:” I would pace around (my) backyard and think about warfare and creating an impenetrable fortress…”
CP: “Did you ever build one?”
JM: “No, (it would be a) fortress with a security system and henchman. Built fantasy world with a caste system-a plant based system…I would draw menacing creatures- My dad’s a painter and we would go to thrift stores, fleamarkets…it felt creative the way we did shit…”
CP: “Are you currently creatively satisfied?”
JM: “No, I have been busy with the photography school and not making music. Music making is a therapeutic activity and feel like I’ve been rejecting it.”
Then the phone shuts off mid sentence. Feel like he has just hung up on me…then I get a text “Phone dropped…I’m itching to shoot” Which is so ironic as I just asked if he was currently creatively satisfied.
See more of Jasper’s work here: WEBSITE
