In conversation with .. 4!

postitpals
Los Angeles, USA
@postitpals
It’s been almost 2 months since selfisolation
has been enforced worldwide,
how are you feeling?
I feel good. I usually always feel good. I’m
somewhat optimistic about the future and
grateful that I’m able to paint and still
continue making art during this time.
What have you been doing to pass your
time in quarantine?
I had been living in New York when the
outbreak hit its peak. Things were getting a
little too hairy for me so I decided to head
home to be with my family in California. I
spent 2 weeks self-isolated thinking about
how to manoeuvre my career as an artist
during this unique time when it seems
the last thing on anybody’s mind is art.
Ultimately I came up with a pretty simple
decision: continue doing what I had always
been doing. Not to slow down the painting,
not to take a break, but to just keep on
chugging along like I was in New York.
How has the situation affected your work?
So as I mentioned earlier, I was living
in New York when this all started. I had
actually moved to New York in January after
deciding to make art my full-time pursuit.
So there I was, being an “artist” in the big
city. I had leased studio space in Brooklyn
and was fully immersing my self with the
art culture of New York. I was using my time
in NY to develop my skills and fine-tune my
style as a painter, the current medium I am
making art with. Once the lockdown orders
in March hit, all of that went out the window.
My supply stores closed, studio visits were
impossible, and riding the subway to get
essentials every week was not something I
intended to do. Not to mention, I was also
living in my art studio at the time which
shared a communal bathroom. My situation was not ideal, to say the least.
I tried to ride out the storm for as long as I could, but ultimately I pulled the
plug and moved back home to my parents’ house - a place I had not lived in
since I moved out for college 6 years ago.
Fortunately, my parents were happy to have me (once my self-quarantine
ended) and I set up shop in their garage. I get my supplies mailed to me
and it’s almost like I never left New York. I’m producing a steady amount of
work and am very thankful for that.
Do you have a day-to-day lockdown routine?
I’m not much of a routine person. Like many others, creativity hits me
at random times of the day, which is my main source of energy to stay
focussed or get things done, and that makes it hard to keep a routine. I
usually wake up pretty late, around noon, and make a cup of coffee - those
are two things that definitely happen every day.
But every day is different. This week I’ve been building canvases, so there’s
a lot of outdoor work, woodcutting, and canvas stretching. Next week will
be a painting week.
I try and get out of the house at least once a day, so I’ll take my bicycle for
a stroll around the neighbourhood in which I grew up listening to music.
The weather has been great, it’s very nice and peaceful. I’ve been thinking
a lot about my childhood and how I can incorporate that into the work I
produce out of this garage.
Have any unexpected benefits come out of this situation for you?
I get a home-cooked meal every day - that’s the biggest benefit of living
with your parents.
What do you wish for the future?
On a sociological level, I hope we (as a people) learn from this. This has
been a huge reality check for us all. I hope people understand that things
can change in a second and that it can’t hurt to be a little prepared, to take
care of ourselves, and to be better to one another.
On a selfish level, I hope to see my friends soon. I’m looking forward to a
reopened world full of concerts, art shows, birthdays, parties, you name it.
Where can we buy your art?
Through Instagram. If you like what you see, shoot me a DM or email me at
hi@postitpals.com for commissions.
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