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

I

Rockin' Korona and the Boogie Woogie Flu with Joe O'Neill

An SFAI alum, Joe O'Neill is a fine artist, muralist and bad-ass sign painter. 

Let me tell you snotty little brats something, if you see a masterly hand painted commercial sign and walk right by it without recognizing an artist's hand at work, I don't even wanna know ya. Joe is pretty damn adept with gold leaf too, and trust me, that stuff's a bitch to work with. 

His most recent solo show, "Secret Head Trip/What Struck Me" was at Keystone Art Space.

Here's what notorious art world crank Mat Gleason had to say about it:

"The layers and flourishes of the lettering that are the master sign painter's calling card are all still there. They stand strong yet are reduced to compositional elements within a painting that carries a larger purpose. These bold, slick, unbent letters signify that there are many here among us who will not sacrifice our personal style in the face of a world going wrong."

But that was so 2019, before the world really took a turn. I reached out to Joe yesterday to see how the end of the world is going for him.

How are you feeling?

Pretty good despite all this. I’m well rested and getting exercise. but I am worried.

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

I bought a bunch of supplies to my house. My studio is only a couple miles away. There’s minimal common space and few people so I will go back there soon. I felt like the right thing to do was to just stay home for a couple weeks.

When did it hit you how serious this was?

2-3 weeks ago, when films and commercials started shutting down. my day job is in the film business.

Have you had cancelled/postponed exhibitions as a result?

Yes. 2 group shows are postponed indefinitely. a third may be online only. I also have a couple paintings in a show at golden west college that can’t be seen because the college is shut down. it’s a bummer but you know what? I’d rather have them cancelled than not have those opportunities at all.

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

Some. it feels a little futile. I haven’t been super productive. mostly I’m just drawing and practicing painted lettering. I tend to overthink my ideas in times of stress (or maybe just all the time) so getting back to basics is good. it turns my brain off then the good ideas come. 

Are you finding any inspiration in this mess?

Maybe it’s me being idealistic but i am finding people to be a little nicer to each other, at least in one on one interactions, hoarders and profiteers aside.

I’m hoping that we come out of this with a little more compassion and empathy.  a renewed interest in universal health care and a greater understanding of the value of our labor.

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

I want to do more to help but I must remember that staying home is helping.

What are some of your coping mechanisms?

Meditation, exercise, art, talking with friends.

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

See/touch/feel friends. be around people in general. even though I like to spend a lot of time alone I  like people. travel.

Done any binge watching, book reading, game playing?

Tiger king, like everyone else. there are some other shows.
I love reading but haven’t been doing as much as I’d like.I have had long conversations with people. longer than I would have before the pandemic. some are friends I haven’t seen in decades. that part of this is great.

Favorite work of art in Los Angeles?

There is so much great work to choose from but I will go with a long time favorite: The mural on the back side of the post office at Butler Ave and Santa Monica Blvd. in West L.A. (11420 Santa Monica Blvd, 90025. Mural is on the back outside wall overlooking the parking lot). I forget the name but it’s California after it falls into the sea. It was painted in the early 70s, I believe. it’s really faded but still really strong.

That's the "Isle of California". It's on the south side of The Village Recorder, which I think T Bone Burnett owns now, because he's there all the fucking time. It was painted back in 1972 by Victor Henderson and Terry Schoonhoven. They were part of the L.A. Fine Arts Squad. Faded as fuck now.

"Isle of California" circa 1974

How it looks this morning.

What song is stuck in your head right now?

L7 “Garbage Truck”.

You roadie for them sometimes. How are they doing?

I think they’re all right. I’m closest with Jennifer, the bass player. She’s like a sister to me. She’s The only one I’ve talked to lately, she’s doing well. They’re supposed to go to Australia and New Zealand in May, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

I’ve been asking everybody this, favorite brand of toilet paper and where do you find it?

The bidet attachment I installed on my toilet.

Wow, you fancy!

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

Coffee.

Do you know anyone personally who has contracted the virus?

An acquaintance in Seattle.

How do you think this all ends?

I have no fucking idea. We will get through it. I don’t know at what cost.

Here's to gettin' through it! Thanks for talking to me, man. 

Y'all can buy the catalog from Joe's latest show here. and you should. Also, hire/commission the guy here.

Photos below courtesy of Joe O'Neill
Top photo by Marlene Guidara

The Koronavirus Blues with Septerhed

In the beginning, there was a locust that swarmed over the Sahara. The deafening buzzing sound created a vortex that swirled across the plains, creating a thick black sludge. The sludge flowed into the Mediterranean Sea, swallowing all gill-bearing life. The sludge grew in size as it devastated Macedonia, then Bucharest and Belarus. Gaining speed, the sludge made a sharp left at Estonia and headed toward the Baltic Sea, where it was met by a corona discharge of luminous plasma. The brutal collision caused the sludge to shoot skyward twisting into tentacles of shimmering, gooey light. There it stayed, churning & whirling and making a cacophonous clamor. Until, one day, like a miracle, it just disappeared. The ancient mystics gave the thing a name. Thy name is Septerhed.

But seriously, dude, how are you doing?

Thanks for asking. Dishonestly? Fantastic. Every day is a ray of sunshine that brightens my existence.
Honestly? I feel dumpster fire with a hint of endless melancholy. Like if bad survived a terrible mess and was waiting for a shit-show to take over.

How many days have you been self-quarantining?

None. I've been mostly alone, but not completely. Jesus has been by my side, but he's not washing his hands at all.

When did it hit you how serious the crisis was?

When I couldn't buy TP or water. When the streets were empty. Empty shelves. When my job sent me home.

Have you had any art shows cancelled as a result?

No. Some extensions though.

What have you been doing with the downtime?

Worrying, contemplating, prepping, crying, traveling, smoking, quitting smoking, yelling, nervously smiling and IDK. As best as any 1st time pandemic person can be.

Are you not finding current events inspiring?

Not really. I was in such a bad place in 2019, it's kind of just an extension.

What's been the most challenging aspect for you?

 Finding work, money, logistics, worrying about loved ones. Figuring out what the fuck is happening every historic day.

Do you have any coping mechanisms?

 Perhaps legal stimulants, my sub-woofer and dreams of nicotine consumption. Honestly nothing is really helping me cope. I keep searching though. I will always keep searching. I will.

 What's the thing/place you wish you could go/do right now?

Hang out with Gener. As a Gener myself it's hard to not be around another one. Maybe it's best. It's all fleeting. I always think I know what I need, but my inability to catch a break and learn how to love myself ruins all. Little bits of here and there get us to the next little bit.

Okay, I'm just gonna pretend to know what a Gener is.
Have you done any binge watching, book reading' or game playing?

No. I can't focus on anything like that.

Favorite work of art in Los Angeles?

 A mural by Dr Knudson on Fountain. Best mural in L.A. Fact!

The Dr. Knudson Mural on Fountain

 What's on heavy rotation in your ear holes?

Alec Empire, Dogleg, Beneath the Massacre, Svalbard, God Mother, Tame Impala, Napalm Death, Loathe, Frontierer, Sectioned, Dan Deacon, CHRISTWVRKS, Sanction, The Jezabels, CULT LEADER, Petbrick, Jeen, Brutus, The Middle Kids, Hath.

Favorite brand of toilet paper and where to find it during an apocalypse?

Charmin. Maybe you can find it online and have it delivered by April 14th?

What's your hoarder food of choice?

Peanut butter. 

What brand though?

Natural. Any brand, I think.

I had to scour my Fakebook timeline to figure this out, but I think I've known you for 7 years now. But only very recently discovered that you've had a dog this whole time.

I've had him for 11 years. It's getting toward the end though. It makes me realize the smartest thing I ever did was NOT get anyone pregnant. I can barely handle a dog. I'm a mess and selfish.

How do you think this all ends?

 With me typing this: "THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME!"

Good talk, bro!


Hey, kids, head over to the Septerhed site and buy some art!

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.

 So, everything is gonna be fine. “Can’t see it from my backyard”

Thanks for talking to me, man. I hope to hug ya soon. 

The filthy slap tagger

"Not now, Dad! I'm in the zone.

The Studio

The view from Pastey's bed (or so I'm told).

The inspiration station. Every artist has one.

All photos courtesy of Pastey Whyte, natch.

I'm letting the kid have the last word: