How to Stay Positive with Jason Ostro

With a background in fashion and music, Detroit refugee Jason Ostro opened Gabba Gallery in 2012. He has been a fierce champion of artists of every stripe. Jason spearheaded an epic revitalization of Historic Filipinotown with his alley art projects featuring famed street artists from around the globe, and that project continues to evolve. Jason is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.

A couple of notes about what follows. First, I have transcribed this from a recording of a zoom meeting.  I have put in italics my best guess-timates in a few inaudible parts.

Second, the cast of characters mentioned. Judy is Jason's Mom and she's an artist of note herself. Elena and Jaq are part of the superhero team that helps Gabba run. Andrea LaHue paints flowers for the people and commits Random Acts of kindness. Lastly, this was the first time I'd  talked to Jason since Covid19 struck. So, that's why it starts like this...

What...the...fuck, man?!?!

*laughs* Well, we kinda all knew something was gonna happen. We just didn’t know it was going to be like, “Okay, fuck you all. I gave you hats.”

Oh, man, remember the day after THAT MAN was elected? I was having a full blown panic attack at Gabba and a certain artist’s manager was there saying, “How bad could he really be though? I mean, we have checks and balances. It’s going to be fine.”

*laughs* You were like, “WHAT?!”

Oh, my gawd! Anyway, man, how are you? You got a fucked-up tooth?

You know, I knew that was coming down the pike. I was just hoping I could make it through quarantine. But god only knows when quarantine is going to end. Other than that, man, I’m okay. The gallery’s okay. We’re still making some sales. It’s just a matter of what’s going to happen over a long-term situation. Because…I don’t see us realistically having a show until September, October. Maybe not until Wish List. Maybe not even this year! You know?

We’re just now figuring out how to do some really cool stuff with virtual shows. But it’s a new field. We all gotta hustle and figure out how to play this new field. A lot of the mid-level people that were purchasing art, supporting us when we had the gallery open, are now broke. People just aren’t going to have as much money for speculative beauty for a while.

Are you able to keep the lease going on Gabba for the rest of the year?

I’m going to try to work something out.  See if I can get it lowered a little bit for the time being. Then I’m thinking of doing, like a local store. Like the bags you did for us, maybe hoodies and stuff. Where we’re selling all these pieces between 5, 10, or 50, 60 dollars apiece, you know and helping artists make a little bit of cash. Meanwhile we can make a little bit of cash as well, and still art out there to people that want to help and support, but maybe can’t afford 200, or 300 dollars for a print or individual piece. But would definitely do something for $25, or for 10 dollars if shipping is only gonna be 6 or 7 bucks.

So, I think I’m going to have to employ some of the stuff that I learned in 2008 when I was selling clothing online, to basically survive now. But it’s stressful, you know?

The other thing I have on my plate right now is I’m supposed to be moving my Mom to California at the end of this month. That’s obviously not happening.

How is Judy?

Yeah, she’s okay. She disobeyed me one time and went out to get her medication. Then I gave her bloody hell. But I’ve been ordering all her groceries, having them delivered. Amazingly, I managed to sell the house during quarantine. Once I can get back there, I’ll move her cross country and really won’t have to go back to Michigan too much. Unless it’s to see friends.

What are you seeing in your neighborhood? Here in West Los Angeles, a lot of people are still not wearing masks. Still getting together in groups.

I would say…in the Hollywood/Beachwood area, north of Franklin, everybody is wearing a mask. Except the homeless, and a lot of them are wearing t-shirts over their mouths. Below Hollywood, there’s a lot of people not wearing masks. But for the most part, in my general area, most people have them. Most people are paranoid.

So, you’re having a root canal tomorrow, Jaq has an ear infection. How’s Elena doing?

She’s better now. We think she had Covid.

Oh, fuck!

Yeah, we think she contracted it a couple weeks ago. She had, pretty much all the symptoms for 4 or 5 days, and then she quarantined for a week and a half after that. She’s been fine ever since though.

I’m kind of hoping that I had one of those pre-cases dating back to October. Cuz I was fucking sick as shit back then.Yeah, yeah, yeah! We really think we might’ve had it in November, or even the last time I saw you. In January I was leery to hug you, for your protection.

How are you guys doing? What’s going on with you?

We’re okay. You know? We pretty much stay home during the best of times. But there is a psychic cost to this. I think everybody is finding their head to be a frightening place to be live right now.

Plus, every single artist on the planet is worried about their relevance now. I mean, sure, it’s our job to document this shit, but nobody wants to see documentation while they’re living through it, and even if your jam is painting bunnies and/or robots eating donuts, it’s a tough sell at the moment.

Add to that, galleries are gathering places. People mingling, hugging, breathing on each other. Everyone is worried that that is over completely.

Yeah, until there is testing and tracking, there is no fucking way for us to know who has it, or who has been exposed.

Yep. Best case scenario, you’re gonna have to have an infrared thermometer at the door before you let people in.

Oh, guaranteed! I’ve already looked into buying it. I’ve looked into buying gallons of hand sanitizer. I may need to provide masks to people who don’t have them before letting them in. You know?

The camaraderie is something that I’m very worried about losing. Because that’s always been the strength of Gabba. Just the fact that the love of the community reverberates there. That there’s new stuff that is introduced to people all the time has always been a really good thing.

I think I’m over the whole shock of this thing happening and I’m trying to figure out how to build now. But for a couple weeks I was just sitting on my ass thinking “I don’t know what to do!”. How long am I gonna be sitting on my ass? What do I do? I’ve got 5 or 6 paintings I’ve started, but I can’t finish any of them right now because I’m too scattered. But in the past week I’ve been turning the corner and started to get back to the hustle. I don’t think it’s just for me, man. I worked for many years not making a dime with Gabba Gallery. I’ve been fortunate the last few years to have made a little bit of money. Now I feel like I have to go back to how it was in the beginning and just keep on working. I want to do all those projects again and get people introduced. I also don’t want to ask anybody for help. I just want people to buy art.

I have about 5 or 6 prints ready to go online. But I don’t want to release them all at the same time. IT’s kind of like trying to bring in cash strategically over the next few month. I have a lot of little things I’m doing. You know, I’m lucky. Because I’ve got a great team and for the time being I can afford to keep them and even pay them a little bit, even if they’re not actively working in the gallery right now.

You know, I just have to stay positive. Because if I lose hope then there is no hope. I really do feel that as hard as it’s going to be, I’ve already been down this road. I’ll be able to come out the other side. At least that’s the plan.

We’re all hoping that Cheetoh gets taken out.

I cannot take another 4 years of this.

No, but the problem is that his stupidity affects the world now. I did just read a poll that said his disapproval rating is finally going up. When this started his approval rating went to 49 percent. I was like, ‘why are you going up right now?’ But now his disapproval is over 50 and his approval is low forties.

 Well, he seems to be reading different numbers than you.

Oh yeah, he always does. I mean, there was 35, 36 thousand deaths in America at the time and he was talking about how it was so bad when we had the H1N1 flu, how bad Obama dealt with it, how terrible things were. So, I was doing some fact-checking and read that, okay…1) Our economy grew during that time. 2) There were 17, 000 deaths over a period of 12 months. We had 36,000 deaths in 90 days with Trump, and he’s touting himself as the greatest president of all time. Now he’s saying we won’t see it over 60,000. Well we’re gonna see the death toll hit 60, 000 in the next 10 days. And if we see a second wave during the actual flu season, we’re fucked!

*long pause. Mutual heavy sigh*

You know this already, but I get violently angry about that man. I mean, like I want to do damage. He really brings out the violence in me.

Yeah, I think the separation he’s caused in this country is unreal, and I think a lot of people on both sides are drawn to that violence as well. We see them acting on it, more and more. Across the world, this nationalism that’s happening in so many different places is mind-blowing.  But we’ve preached love for so many years. So many songs about it…but to have all this going on is disheartening. This is a crazy reality. It’s hard to get my head around it and hard to accept it.

But you are making art though?

Yeah, man. I’ve got a couple pieces that I started. A couple different things that I’m trying in my art. I mean, I’m doing some of the standard stuff that I’ve done and some commissions. But, personally, I’m trying some different things.

You know, I always thought of your fractals, or your style as…well, it always registered as stained glass to me. But you call it Chinese cracked ice?

So, I didn’t actually know it was Chinese cracked ice until Andrea and I did our show together a couple years together on Sunset, and this guy came in and said, “Wow, I haven’t seen anybody do Chinese cracked ice paintings in forever. These are so amazing! When did you pick up Chinese cracked ice?”  and I’m like, I don’t know what you’re talking about. He pulled out his phone and showed me some pictures and sure enough, that’s pretty much what I’ve been doing.

You learn something new every day. 

Let me throw a few questions at you that I’ve been asking everybody.

What’s your favorite work of art in Los Angeles?

Um…it changes all the time. But I would have to say that my favorite work of art in Los Angeles is the ever-changing landscape of watching tourists in Hollywood. I see so many colors and variations of people…you know, I really understand writers and poets, musicians when they tell their stories of Los Angeles. There’s so much beauty in it, so much craziness, that’s just standard clay there. It’s normal to us. Normal to you and I. But to a lot of people they come to this town right off the bat, it’s so magical.  When I walk around and view it from those eyes? That’s the most beautiful art in this city.

I can’t really name a set piece of art. I like Watts Towers!

Are you binging any content?

I’m always binge listening to music. I watched this documentary The Pharmacist which was kind of amusing. McMillions. I’m a big documentary person. I watched this documentary on the History Channel that was about the biggest brands of foods, like Heinz, and it went into how cutthroat they were, how they treated their employees, and how guys like Hershey just built whole cities on the backs of labor and control.

Any songs stuck in your head right now?

I’ve been playing this song by Papooz called “Ulysses and the Sea”.

I’ve been listening to this artist by the name Chika. You know, what I love to watch, is the Tiny Desk series of shows at NPR.

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

I love mini donuts, but if I was using my brain, I’d hoard vegetables.

How do you think this ends?

After time, I think it’s gonna rattle out some of the youth of Los Angeles, and maybe some of the people that don’t wanna fight anymore in this town. The only problem is…where are people gonna go? You know, in the past they would go to these middle America communities, but now those communities are gonna be just as decimated with jobs as everywhere else.

So, it’s a matter of just being, I guess. I don’t know how we’re gonna get out of this yet. Honestly, I’m not sure we’re even through the first phase yet. 

Good talk! 
I love you, brother. Stay safe.

Photo by Julia Corbin

Jason's first paintings, circa 2001

One of my collabs with Jason

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Walking the Walls with Jean Smith

There's a moment in the documentary "The Shield Around The K" where Jean Smith stands on, dances on, and kicks an electric guitar while singing the "how does it feeeeel" part of Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone". David Lester briefly mock-riffs the cock-rock of the Hendrix version before the two turn on a dime into Mecca Normal's  menacing classic "I Walk Alone". How it feels is pretty fucking seminal. But "I Walk Alone" always has been a gut punch. Even corporate music dinosaur Rolling Stone Magazine finally came around to it a month ago, citing it in their Essential Riot Grrrl Guide last month.

Jean Smith has been painting self portraits since she was 13. She has released over a dozen Mecca Normal albums with Lester over more than 3 decades. She formed 2 Foot Flame in the mid nineties, releasing a couple records with them. A solo album on Kill Rock Stars followed in 2000. Jean is a filmmaker. She's also written several novels and has become an oft in demand voice on feminism.

I come to doing this interview merely as a fanboy. A few years ago I did a piece of stenciled street art with her face and the word AGITATE over her head. Somehow it came to her attention and well, here we are. I asked if she wanted to participate in this Pandemic Series of artist interviews, and she said, yes.

Hi, Jean! How are you feeling? How's your overall health?

I feel pretty good thanks, although I was interested to see a list of fairly subtle mental health indicators that rang some bells, so I know I'm a little off in terms of how I'm being affected. I like checking myself against known symptoms so I can address such things before they become problematic.

I had an advantage of following what was happening quite early as the Washington state outbreak took place because we were booked to open for Bikini Kill in Olympia and Seattle. It seemed to take forever for their government to announce a limitation on large gatherings. It was such a relief. I still follow their pandemic details as we are some number of weeks behind them here in BC, but we seem to have a pretty good grip on the situation. No lock-downs as of yet. I have a feeling the government here is factoring in certain amount of activity to allow for herd immunity, but that's just me speculating.

I may be wrong, but didn't you recently buy a house? If so, how does one move during a global pandemic?

I am looking for a location to open the Free Artist Residency for Progressive Social Change where all types of artists can stay while they're working on projects that intend to change the world. I was very close to securing a viable house just as things started going sideways. Some people panic buy tins of tuna, evidently I panic buy houses. I got to the accepted offer stage before I'd even seen it in person, but my research came up with issues I couldn't ignore, so it's back to looking and now waiting to see how the real estate market changes.

Now, with things as they are, a somewhat more ambitious version of the residency is formulating. It should be a separate, self-contained building where visiting artists can buckle down on projects that intend to change the world in a private environment of self-sufficiency.

This sounds like a higher price bracket to me, but folks I know in the real estate industry are saying hang onto cash and wait for prices to drop.

As for moving, I would have had to stay put and wait until a safer time.

Many of my artist friends are finding it difficult to make art right now. Are you finding any inspiration in this mess?

I've recently been doing some of my best work to date as my creativity is the sort that thrives under pressure and during adversity -- partly because that's where it originated (in the 1970s) and that's what it tends to address. I've painted through moving my parents into a facility, the death of my mom (at 98) and the overall decline of my father, now 95.

I think the performative nature of my process is helpful too. I paint and post work daily on Facebook because I've said that's what I'm doing. There's an accountability involved. The show / art must go on! I know people are inspired by my pushing forward and not getting derailed or depressed. Paintings were recently selling within the first 5 minutes. It's slowed a bit, but I'm still selling almost everything I do and I have a supportive audience, which is something I'm familiar with coming from a music back ground.

I think you've done over 800 paintings in your "No Hat" series, and it seems you've now shifted to bathing caps and scuba gear. Can I ask what the absence of the hat symbolized, and if you're now feeling under water?

I've been painting variations on the the two main themes (hat and no hat) for a few years now. The 11 x 14" $100 USD series began in 2016 with maybe 50 or so titled "The Hat" -- "The Hat #2" "The Hat #3" etc. It went so well that I felt compelled to keep painting people in hats because I didn't want to ruin the whole thing! For all I knew, the actual hat in the painting was an integral part of why they were selling! "No Hat" started very tentatively. It's hard to paint when your fingers are crossed. They sold just fine so I felt free to diversify to various sub series that I come with periodically and add to over time. Headphones, Ruff Collar, Scuba, Aviator. Astronaut is always quick to sell when I do any of them. I archive the paintings chronologically in Facebook albums along with "SOLD" and "Currently Available" etc.  albums. I think the way I've structured selling them on Facebook is part of my success. The people collecting them plot and plan which ones they want to buy next, hoping to get in there before someone else does.

The last few months have been record breakers at around 80 paintings each month, but now I'm not sure where things will go. I feel like the business I built up is now in jeopardy, but, to be fair, painting sales since the pandemic started have actually been remarkably good, but... monitoring sales against the backdrop of financial ruin, illness and death feels sinister. In recent months, an individual collector has been buying about half of what I paint and post. Immediately. I can feel things slowing down. Paintings that previously sold in the first 5 minutes are available for hours... and beyond. But that slowing down might be temporary. I just need to stay the course.

Being in a punk rock band for 35 years is an excellent proving ground for ducking curve-balls. I admit, I had been allowing myself to toy with the scenario that things were really gonna work out! I was gonna buy a great place to make available as an artist residency as well as creating a model for acquiring property for cultural activists, and now I fear I sound like I'm whining about a non-problem... lady who sells art online can't afford to buy a house... boo hoo. It's all been so wildly successful I can't really complain.

Although you're in Vancouver, I know you keep an eye on U.S. politics. I have to ask the person who wrote "I Walk Alone" your thoughts on our current president and the allegations against his challenger?

Y'all gots to get rid of that guy. Those are my thoughts on the matter.

Has dating gotten any easier since The Observer?

About 5 years ago, I decided that I didn't want to have a romantic partner. I encountered way too much bamboozling, hoodwinking and other forms of manipulation. Just not into it. I'm very happy single. To be 60, making a living as a painter with no one to answer to is really fantastic. Even writing that kinda makes me wanna jump up and clap my hands wildly.

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

I was very concerned about a couple of friends who didn't seem to me to be up to speed early on. That was very stressful. My m.o. is to not go anywhere. I prefer solitude to socializing. I get groceries and art supplies delivered. It can be challenging in the evening when I'm most negative. I veer into lamenting that good parts of life won't return, but I recognize the trajectory and know it'll all be brighter in the morning.

What are some of your coping mechanisms?

Painting is where I can really let go of the current situation. I'm in a really good position personally. I paint at home and I don't have obligations to meet other than staying in contact with my dad, but I do have friends and family who are quite vulnerable, so I do some philosophical preparation in terms of how I regard life, which includes savoring thoughts of what a great life I've had so far and how amazing it is that any of us are here at all. I think trying to prepare a little bit for the possibility of a death, will reduce some of the disorientation that could be hard to recover from. I'm not dwelling on death, but I'm consciously regarding how I usually think of my death -- or my friends' -- as something way off in the future. I think allowing a new awareness to be available is helpful. Actually, I found I adapted very quickly to our new reality, in part because I've been in crisis mode with my elderly parents for the past 4 years and this seems like an extension of that, in a way.

Other coping mechanisms include breathing exercises. Yoga. Trying to do 20 minutes of cardio three times a week, which is a bunch of kicking, punching, jumping and flailing without any choreography or counting involved. I have some weights, so I do some of that as well. Eat healthy. Get enough sleep. Try not to fall into negativity.

I was asked to make a quick video the other day to answer questions for a music magazine. I really didn't want to do it, but I actually felt quite a lot better afterwards. I felt more like myself in a public persona mode than I have experienced for a while.

 Everybody seems to be Zooming now. Are you and David Zooming at all?

Like, to each other? We talk land line to land line once a week. He's focused on a graphic novel project and working from home. After 35 years, I don't think we are gonna forget what the other one looks like, so no need for Zoom. No actual Zoom candidates on the horizon, no. I don't have a webcam or a mic in my computer.

From the last Mecca Normal show before the crisis. Photo by Bob Hanham

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

I have a very quiet life so this self-isolation gig isn't that far from how I usually live. I paint in the first half of the day, then I walk the 10 blocks or so to buy food in maybe 4 or 5 small shops. I make a point of having short exchanges with cashiers, so that my brain thinks it has accomplished some sort of socializing. It's quite easily fooled, my brain... or maybe it really does only require minor interactions. I could use a few more laughs, that's for sure!

Done any binge watching, book reading, game playing?

I'm pretty big on Netflix (sans chill) at the best of times. Reality shows, British crime series, documentaries.

Favorite work of art in Vancouver?

My long-standing underground rock duo Mecca Normal.

Is there a song stuck in your head right now?

No, but I still hear my 8th grade Home Ec teacher saying, "wipe up spills as they happen" every time I spill something.

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

I guess it would be krill or whatever it is lobster like to eat so I can feed several hundred of them in the live tank I don't know why I don't already have on the roof of my penthouse apartment.

Do you know anyone personally who has contracted the virus?

I've read FaceBook posts about the illness written by several people who had the virus in its milder form. No hospitalization.

How do you think this all ends?

I think we'll have a cycle of reduced restrictions followed by more freedom with a return to limitations whenever the virus surfaces until there is either a vaccine or we reach herd immunity at which point, if people do get it, there will be health care services available. I doubt there will be as many large gatherings for music, boozing and food -- and likely far less recreational travel for the foreseeable. I don't think there will be the drastic, long-lasting reductions in freedom that some people anticipate. I tend to think most things will return more or less to how they were.

Thanks, Jean! Be well.

Korona Coping with Camilla Taylor

There was a moment in time, years ago, that I could have bought a pillow like tentacle made by Camilla Taylor for something like 20 bucks, but I just watched that ship sail by me like a dum-dum.

Camilla Taylor is a sculptor, an illustrator, a painter, a print-maker, a scholar, a dean's list maker,  a professor, a style icon, a swimmer, an everchanging mystery, and from what I'm told, a gingerbread witch. Let's see how she's handling the pandemic!

How are you feeling?

I’m feeling well.  I’m so busy that I don’t have much time to worry.

Were you able to quarantine in the studio? How long has it been?

Yes, I’m lucky in that my studio is my detached garage, on the same lot as my home.  I think it’s funny, last year I overheard some artists at a gallery, denigrating the garage studio.  Now I feel well smug as those same artists aren’t able to access their, no doubt, very fancy studios.

When did it hit you how serious this was?

I knew it was serious when news about Wuhan hit the news.  I follow international news, but it didn’t sit as emotionally important until friends died.  I wonder who had the virus and who did not.  So few of us were able to get tested early on, and the tests were initially so unreliable.  I know some people who died because of Covid 19, but I don’t know how many.

Have you had cancelled/postponed exhibitions as a result?

Oh yes, quite a few.  And cancelled studio visits, cancelled art purchases.  Whose career isn’t this fucked up right now?

What have you been doing with the downtime? Are you able to make art right now?

I don’t have downtime.  I don’t really understand this experience people have with it.  I work much more now than I did before the quarantine.  I’m a professor, and having to transition to teaching printmaking remotely is an incredible amount of labor. 

I’m making less art now because I’m constantly figuring out what materials my students have access to, and what is remotely close to what they would have learned in person.

I don’t consider the things I make to teach as my “art” per se, as I have to make them very differently that I would if I were just making it for myself.

Are you finding any inspiration in this mess?

Right when this started here in LA, I made a series of monoprints inspired by the social reaction I witnessed.  Before the quarantine, when people were reacting to illness as though it were a fault of the sick person. Everyone glaring at the person who coughs, for instance, or my school sending out a notice that we shouldn’t come on campus if we have any symptoms, but requiring a doctor’s note to prove it (and of course, providing no medical care for part time and adjunct workers).

What has been the most challenging part of this for you?

For me, it’s the uncertainty.  I like to plan, I like routine.  We don’t know how long this will last, if we’ll be back out with our regular lives come June, or if we should be planning to teach online through the fall semester, and watch as businesses fold.

What are some of your coping mechanisms?

Being busy.  I just work, overperform on anything I need to do.  I hear from students around the country that professors are just telling them to figure it out, and here I am, making 5 carefully edited demo videos for every assignment.  I do too much, but then I don’t have any time to worry.

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

Go swimming!  Lord, I miss swimming so much.

Done any binge watching, book reading, game playing?

I’m reading through everything by Octavia Butler for the first time right now. 

Babylon Berlin (I watch it on Netflix), if you haven’t seen it yet, I cannot recommend it enough.

Favorite work of art in Los Angeles?

“Central Meridian” by Michael C. McMillen, in the permanent collection, though rarely on view, at LACMA.

Central Meridian (aka The Garage) by Michael C. McMillen

What song is stuck in your head right now?

The Mountain by Donovan

Favorite brand of toilet paper and where do you find it?

I don’t really have toilet paper opinions.  I must have a hardy bum. We did just install a bidet a couple days ago, which I am still getting accustomed to.

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

Fresh orange juice.  But due to its nature and incredibly brief shelf life, it is impossible to hoard effectively.

How do you think this all ends?

I don’t know that things like this do just end.  I think the weaknesses in our systems are made so apparent, that they must be addressed in some way.  This must change us culturally in some way.  I hope for the better.  

Me too, Camilla. Me too.  Thank you. Be well.

All photos courtesy of Camilla Taylor

Korona is a Drag...with Sloane Kanter

Sloane Kanter is weird, okay? I said it. You were thinking it, but I said it. She's scary too! John Waters once said of her, "She is the most frightening human I've ever met!"*  But is she even human though? Various artists have portrayed her as  having blue alien flesh. She may even have tentacles!

Although most people know her as the bad-ass photographer lady documenting the drag scene in San Francisco. She has a dog named Miller who I'm quite fond of. I checked in on Sloane a month ago. But crickets! I was just about to file a missing persons report when...

How are you and Mills doing? How's your mental and physical health?

We are doing alright! I think that he’s happy to have me at home 24/7. My physical health is good. Mental health is mostly good as well. I’m trying my best to stay busy to keep my mind off of things. I’m trying to set small goals every day and cutting myself some slack if I don’t get it all done. I’m trying to stay connected to friends online, so I don’t get too lonely. Nights can be a little hard though.

When did you lock yourself down?

I believe I started staying in on March 14th. That’s when all of the local bars started closing down and I lost all of my photography jobs. I was pretty depressed that weekend but was able to kind of pull myself out of it once I realized I wasn’t the only one going through this.

Are your parents okay?

My parents seem good! We talk on the phone every day. Those phone calls also help keep me sane.

What's the vibe in San Francisco right now?

It’s a weird vibe for sure. Grocery stores are a nightmare (as I’m sure they are in LA too). People are rude as fuck. And some folks are treating the quarantine like a vacation. When I take Miller out for a walk I always see way too many people out and about. All of the sudden everyone is an outdoors person.

Did you have any shows scheduled?

I didn’t have any shows scheduled to show my work. But I had lots of drag shows that I was going to shoot that got cancelled. That was such a bummer when that started happening.

What have you been doing with the downtime?

I’ve been cleaning and organizing my place little by little. I’ve also been cooking more which I’ve been enjoying. I’m also starting to work on putting together either a book or zine of my photos. And for fun I’ll watch movies, tv shows, and play video games.

Do you have enough food?

I do! I’ve been braving the grocery store once every week or two and picking up enough food to last me. If I feel like I need anything else between those trips I’ll go to the corner store. I’ve also been trying to cook using things that have been sitting in my cupboard or freezer for a while. It’s helped me get creative while making my meals! 

What has been the most challenging part of this for you?

I find myself missing a lot of social aspects from my “normal” life. I’ve always considered myself an introvert so missing these things came as a bit of a surprise. I miss seeing friends, going out to dinner, going to see live music, going to drag shows. And of course I miss taking photos at drag shows as well. Seems like some of these things you don’t miss until you can’t have them. At least that’s the case for me.

What are some of your coping mechanisms?

Definitely watching movies, reading and playing video games. They help me take my mind off of everything and escape the madness for a little while.

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

I really wish I could go see a drag show at The Stud right now. The Stud is the oldest queer bar in SF and they have the BEST shows. The performances are very diverse and there is so much talent on that small stage. But drag queens are so innovative. They’ve found ways to keep the shows going digitally from their homes. I’ve really been enjoying watching these digital drag shows on Twitch and Instagram live.

Done any binge watching, book reading, game playing?

As far as TV I’ve been revisiting the X-Files and a show that I watched as a kid called So Weird. I’ve also been revisiting some favorite horror films as well as movies featuring drag queens. I finished the game Life is Strange 2 the first week of quarantine. I have also been playing Luigi’s Mansion 3 intermittently. As far as reading I’ve been enjoying the graphic novel Black Hole by Charles Burns and listening to the audio book of the book Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear by Margee Kerr. Definitely consuming a lot of different media at this time.

Have you seen the video of Trixie Mattel making strawberry shortcake in the Bon Appetit test kitchen?

I have! I’ve been watching a lot of drag videos on YouTube while stuck at home. I loved that one. I love Trixie’s wit.

Do you have a favorite work of art in San Francisco and/or Los Angeles?

My favorite works of art in SF are these Agnes Martin pieces at the SFMOMA. There’s a small room where each wall is filled by one of her paintings. I visit it any time I’m at that museum. Being in that room brings me an immediate sense of calm. Kinda wish I could be there right now.

Oh, my gawd, I love Agnes Martin so much! She has pieces in New York that brought me to tears.

What song is stuck in your head right now (commercial jingles totally count)?

I watched a digital drag show last night where one queen sang the song Alone by Heart and now it’s stuck in mud head.

Favorite brand of toilet paper and where do you find it?

Honestly, I usually just get Costco brand tp. Luckily, I stocked up before people started hoarding it so I haven’t had to fight anyone for toilet paper (yet).

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

If I could hoard lots of vegan milkshakes from this place called Next Level Burger that would be my choice!

Do you know anyone personally who has contracted the virus?

I have a couple of friends who thought they may have had it, but they weren’t able to get tested. Luckily, they have since recovered.

What is the saddest/most troubling thing you've seen since this started?

It’s not a huge surprise but seeing everyone hoarding everything and being selfish assholes has been disheartening. Last time I went to Whole Foods I saw an older man yell at an employee walking into work because they thought they were trying to cut the line. I understand why people are on edge, I just wish that they’d take this opportunity to be kinder to one another instead.

How do you think this all ends?

I honestly have no idea. I hope that we come out of this with a greater appreciation for each other. Maybe we won’t take all of the little things that we now miss for granted. Or maybe things will just go back to how they were before. I’m interested to see how it goes. I hope for positive changes.

How can people help you out right now?

There are a few ways! Local folks can pre-book a shoot with me. They can pay now and we’ll set a date once things are more certain. Folks can also pre-order prints from me. Choose any photo of mine that you’d like a print of and I’ll deliver or mail them once this is over. OR they can just send me a tip through Venmo if they’re feeling generous. My username on Venmo is @sloanek. Sharing my work is always appreciated as well!

*Don't fact check that. John Waters has better lawyers than I do.