When I started doing these little Coronavirus interviews with artists back at the end of March, things were bad. We were all quarantining, losing jobs, losing loved ones. Everything was strange and scary. We were frozen in place. Unable to move. It was bad. Well, it's July now and everything is much worse! I sent Jennifer Korsen the interview questions in April, she answered them in May. Then inertia, depression and I have just sat on them since. So, think of the following as a snapshot, a time capsule or a mere curiosity. But having Jennifer as a friend during the apocalypse has been of some comfort to me. So, here's a disjointed conversation between a couple friends just trying to get through it.
How are you feeling?
I feel pretty good. I’m about 3 weeks late filling this out
so now that the panic has subsided a little I'm finding routine and trying to
figure out how to navigate life after this.
Were you able to quarantine in the studio? How long has it
been?
I’m away from my studio but I have some art supplies. It’s
actually been kinda nice to have limited access, forces creativity and
eliminates me deciding between 50 mediums how I want to express something.
When did it hit you how serious this was?
March 21, driving down the 5 freeway with almost zero cars
and seeing those signs on the freeway for the first time that said to wash your
hands and stay home and all that. It was apocalyptic, Ill never forget that.
Have you had cancelled/postponed exhibitions as a result?
I have artwork
currently locked in at La Luz De Jesus, The Hive, Echoes, Silverlake coffee,
and I think one more place I can’t remember right now, lol. Had some live
painting, speaking engagements, and a school mural project postponed or
cancelled, I'm not even sure which at this point.
What have you been doing with the downtime? Are you able to
make art right now?
I didn't do anything creative for the first 2 or 3 weeks, it
just felt like one long weird, panicky day. An artist friend of mine (PS it’s
you, Keith.) invited me to draw on zoom and it kind of stoked the fire back up.
I've been painting and playing the Omnichord, doing yoga, going for walks, basically
all the things that have been new year’s resolutions were actually pandemic
resolutions and I’m currently killing it. Also interspersed with moments of
dread and panic just to keep it interesting.
Are you finding any inspiration in this mess?
I actually am, I know this sounds weird, but I tend to be
calm in moments of panic and chaos. It’s totally a PTSD response but it
kind of feels like the world caught up to the way I feel a lot of the time. I’ve
been doing a lot of art with no objective and getting into some abstracted
stuff I call micro/macro. I'm also making some resin stuff with things I find
on the beach, kind of sentimental weird stuff. I think a lady may have thought
I needed help while I was combing through handfuls of sand to find tiny white
rocks. I feel like this time has
been a good reset for me and in the long run, I will be grateful to have been
forced to slow down. I also think (hope) I hit peak anxiety during this and I
survived it so that's kind of nice as well. Really making an active effort to
be mindful and focus on what I can control.
What has been the most challenging part of this for you?
Losing work, cancelled projects, uncertainty about the
future, basically everything I didn’t mention above. I hate going to the
grocery store, seeing lines and people in masks is really disturbing and makes
it hit home. It feels like a movie.
What are some of your coping mechanisms?
Painting, walking, talking to friends, yoga, Omnichord.
What's the thing/place you wish you could do/go but can't
right now?
I wish I could road trip up to Portland. I do almost every
year. I also had plans to go to Colorado in September and I kind of doubt that
will happen now.
Done any binge watching, book reading, game playing?
I’ve watched every offshoot of 90 Day Fiancé, lots of ghost
and paranormal stuff, Tiger King, I’m Not Ok with This, mostly stuff i can have
on in the background.
Favorite work of art in Los Angeles?
I feel like the entire city of LA is a collaborative work of
art, like a performance piece.
What song is stuck in your head right now (commercial
jingles totally count)
I didn’t have one until reading that and what popped up is
commercial from the 80's that goes "hello mother, hello father, April
freshness, not a bother, just one problem, it’s my laundry, oh dear mom and dad
I think I’m in a quandary." I’ve had that in the back of my head for 30+
years.
Favorite brand of toilet paper and where do you find it?
Costco brand. Charmin if I’m feeling fancy.
If you could hoard one food item, what would it be?
Artichokes, Numero Uno pizza, matzah ball soup. I need 3
food items and some yuzu chili sauce from Trader Joes.
Do you know anyone personally who has contracted the virus?
A few people but they are ok. Some family members and
friends of friends have passed, and it really blows my mind how some people
think its fake and overblown or aren't willing to take precautions to protect
others. It makes me really sad for all of us.
How do you think this all ends?
Maybe it goes away like a miracle, maybe we have a civil
war, maybe we have a massive social and financial restructuring, maybe we learn
compassion and realize we are all connected and do better moving forward. Or
maybe it doesn’t, and we just live like this shutting down every few months
forever. I will say though, I'm super grateful for Facebook memories right now,
it makes me feel like, at least I did a lot of cool stuff before this and went
after my dreams. As cheesy as that sounds, seeing it gives me confidence that I’ll
be able to adapt moving forward, however it goes.
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 LaHuepaints 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.
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.
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 Guidelast 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.
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.
