KrossD: Kicking It Kovid with Pastey Whyte

In life and in art, Pastey Whyte, is like a classic character actor. When he shows up, you're always happy to see him. Pastey calls himself a dirty slap tagger, but as you'll see from this interview, he's much, much more than that. Hailing from a farm on the east coast originally, Pastey has called Los Angeles home for nearly 2 decades. He's a raconteur on any subject (ask him about animal husbandry). He makes all of his slaps by hand, and he's quite generous with them. I have amassed a robust collection of them myself. He draws, he paints, he wheat pastes (get it?), he makes vibrant combines. If you see a Pastey piece in the streets, it's an original. He doesn't photocopy ever. He's a proud and doting father. I like the guy a lot and I wanted to see how he was doing during this mess. So, let's find out:

First things first. Is Pastey Whyte your real name (I ask with a grin)?

No this is not my real name. It is my nom de guerre. I actually have three names. My real name is Ed. My long time friends call me Edsy. My art friends in LA call me Pastey. When I introduce myself at art events I introduce myself as Ed and then I tell them I am also known as Pastey Whyte from my un-commissioned public artworks. The new friend looks at me quizzically until some other artists or friend approaches and usually with a loud and hardy hug or high five says “Pastey, what’s up?” The new friend is surprised and amused and they have now forgotten my real name Ed and will usually call me Pastey when we meet again.

How are you feeling, man?

I feel physically fine. I keep checking in on myself worried about signs of the Covid-19 virus but so far so good. In general, I am anxious about the trajectory of the country and how that will affect my family, my art and my job. Our president, The Cheeto Mussolini, has really brought out the worst in American humanity. I fear for this countries future as well as my own.

Artistically I am a bit in the doldrums. I still make art but lately not as much as I would like. My job has been absorbing a lot of my time. It’s all about the money. I still hit the streets when I can with pastes and stickers. My street stuff isn’t gonna change a lot because I like how recognizable it is. I am looking for a new way to express myself in the studio. In the last week or so I have made a few more pieces in the studio because work has been canceled but that just makes me more anxious and doesn’t help to free up those creative juices. I get back in the studio as much as I can and keep pushing the paint and hitting the canvas. Eventually I know something will come out. I just gotta keep creating.

Have you been self-quarantining?

Yes. I have been on quarantine since March 16th. I have gone out a few times for supplies. I have gone twice to the supermarket and twice to the hardware store for house projects. I stock up at both places so I can have a variety of food to eat and supplies for several Do-It-Yourself projects. Each time I have worn a mask and gloves just to be safe.
So I have been just hanging at the house staying busy with artwork and projects around the house.

When did it hit you how serious this was?

It got serious when they canceled work last week. I work behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. Everybody in my business is out. It’s a bad time for us all in this industry. It’s gonna be hard on everyone that works in entertainment.

Have you had any art shows cancelled or postponed?

I didn’t have any art shows in the works so the pandemic hasn’t affected me in that way. It be nice to have an art show coming up though. You know of any? I am thinking about having a “garage sale” at the house when this is all over. I’ve got so much art in my studio it’s getting hard to move in there.

Do you personally know anybody who has contracted the virus?

I know of 2 people that have contracted the Corona Virus. One is an actor on the show I work on. He is not really a friend but a co-worker. The other is someone I am friendly with who lives in Berkeley. She is the sister in-law of a friend of mine. So, no direct contacts with the virus but yes I know 2 people.

How have you talked to your daughter about this?

She is good. She just likes not being at school. She’s kind of an underachiever at schoolwork. But she is one hell of an athlete and still has very little fear about getting hurt. We just got her out of a cast that was on her ankle. Not a bad break but it still needed a cast for four weeks.The computer is great for kids these days because you can still communicate and see your friends. However it is also the conduit for school work. So. I just hope she can keep up and learn something over this quarantine time.

She is the best thing everrrrrr. I love her so much.

Is your daughter into art?

Yes! My daughter is interested in art. I have the first “straight” line she ever drew sitting at the table in my studio. I have many examples of her work and I have used some of her art in my own work.
I take her to museums and shows when I can. Her attention span isn’t great but you gotta try. I think just exposing her to art will resonate more as she gets older.

I include her in my art all the time. I incorporate her work into mine. I make her a mini-cityscape with her age emblazoned in it every year for her birthday. I also have a stencil portrait I have made of her that I use for various artworks as well as in the streets.

The kid!

A little Ricky Sencion thrown in free.

What has been the most challenging aspect of this crisis for you?

Keeping motivated has been the hardest challenge. It’s so easy to lose yourself in the Social Media and Online. Plus, I have been staying away from over medicating. I have been not drinking or smoking which has helped to keep my motivation up. God knows I have just wanted to forget about this world and my responsibilities, but I have made my house nicer and pumped out a few artworks.

How do you cope otherwise?

I cope by staying busy. I pay attention to the news of the world, but I don’t let it overwhelm me. I try to do that even when things are “normal”. It’s a fucked up world out there and staying aware but busy helps.

What's the thing/place you wish you could do/go, but can't right now?

I love eating out. I am not some fine cuisine kind of diner. I miss going to my favorite taco stands, pizza joints and holes in the wall. I love the ambiance of these places. It just isn’t the same when it’s take out and you eat in the car.

I also miss going to bars. I'm not a bar fly but I do like a good drink every now and then. Just dropping in, having a nice cocktail or two and absorbing the vibe.

What's your favorite pizza joint?

Pizzanista. 2019 East 7th street. I love the pizza here. Closest thing to a New York slice you'll find in LA. I love the vibe here too low key and punk like. Reminds me of some places in the East Village in NYC. I really like their classic punk record take our boxes. I particularly like the Clash "Give 'em enough rope" inspired box. It gets mighty busy here and there isn't a lot of seating so that kinda sucks. If it's after 5pm you can go to Tony's Bar next door. They have an excellent slice and a beer special. There is a pass through window between Pizzanista and the bar. Tony's Bar is a pretty cool dive bar too so it's a great two for one.

Have you done any binge watching, book reading, or game playing?

I have watched all the episodes of “Gentified” on Netflix. I like it because it’s all shot in Boyle Heights and East LA. I have lived in East LA for the last 17 years so there are a lot of locations I know and recognize on the show. Also the show deals with what is gentrification and the good and bad of it. I have lived and shown my artwork in many edge neighborhoods my whole adult life. The show deals with many topics that I have experienced for a long time.

Favorite work of art in Los Angeles?

“Night Sail” by Louise Nevelson at Wells Fargo Plaza (BunkerHill), 333 S. Grand St. Los Angeles.
But Hurry. The new developers/mother fuckers already sold a Dubuffet and a Miro that were bought as public artworks when it was known as Crocker Plaza. There are also some very lovely Robert Graham sculptures, I hope are still in the lower atrium. Also, across the Street in Bank of America Plaza there is a really nice Alexander Calder.

What song has been stuck in your head lately?

"Be Thankful For What You Got" by Curtis Mayfield. Also known as Diamond In The Back.

"Diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean!"

Favorite brand of toilet paper and where to find it?

Scott toilet paper. Larger rolls, clean and basic (no dingle berries left behind). Been using Scott TP for years. I lucked out last week when I was out shopping on my second supply run into the pandemic. They were just putting some out. It was gone in seconds.

If you could hoard one food item guilt-free, what would it be?

Frozen Pizza. Easy to make and Satisfying. Several varieties and styles just so it doesn’t get too monotonous.

How do you think this all ends?

I think this will only polarize the country more and make people more isolationist. The oligarchy of corporations that rule the country will use this fear and isolationism to keep people down and profit from it. The oligarchies power will rise on a global scale. People will suffer more globally. The short sightedness of this profit from fear and isolationism will only create worse conditions environmentally and personally.