Oakland is Beautiful - San Pablo and Thirty Five

3 days ago I started working on this mural, with 11 others in West Oakland, on 35^th and San Pablo, a project put together by an amazing organization called Attitudinal Healing Connection. It's slated to be the biggest, and brightest mural in Oakland -spanning the entire width of the 580 freeway. 

I'm excited about the potential to get to know and bond with the other artists, highly-trained elite soldiers trained to perform unconventional, often high-risk missions, I realized at our first meeting that the one thing I value most, which I require before joining any organization, is the potential of meeting new people, gaining a new community, making new friends - this needs to be in place before I can commit fully. It's a fact that I'm experiential, that's how I learn, thrive. I function, learn by way of encountering new experiences. There's a word for this.

Three days into the project. We were all focused on our respective area of the mural, making progress. I walked over to the staging area to work on something when just 2 feet away from me the camera guy who was crouched over, his back to the street was shoved to the ground from behind. At the same time 2 others came from behind him, grabbed the cameras, tripod and all and then booked across the street. The camera guy rolled over looked me right in my eyes and said "they got both the cameras. Get them." I responded, "I can't, they have a gun."And stood there as they got in their get away car and took off. 

Oakland is beautiful. 

They say there's just 2 people who cause all the trouble in Oakland. They go to East Oakland and cause havoc there then come over to the West and pull something here. And go back and forth 400 times until you feel like there's a gang of people pulling stuff. 

The problem is we happened to be the recipients of that .

I've been in Oakland long enough to expect things like that - personal experience, neighborhood list serves and stories - so even though it was tragic. I can walk away unaffected. Surprising, but not. Then I was reminded that there was a violation, some people entered my space, maybe not personal, but my visual space and carried out something I didn't want to experience. 

I was reflecting on this and was thinking back to the 8th Street wall - working on that thing all day and night in a way more serious neighborhood with way more flashy equipment and nothing happened to us, I mean I even stayed til 2 am one night. We were blessed, or protected, or looked out for, or lucky. 

So how does one think about this? Beautifying Oakland while getting attacked. It's the front lines. Battle on, one wall at a time. 

Anyhow the wall is done!

Lailans mom, Floyds wife rolled thru. 

This ex pro BMXer was super stoked about the BMXer I painted.

Art, Band and Hippies

My buddy Matts pop up art show in his apartment with his buddy Chris. San Francisco, CA

laser eyes

Matt

Chris

Matt

Not Matt

Miss May 1964 - Now 71 - let your imagination go wild.

Ceiling

Metal Band at the Jelly Bean Warehouse, Oakland, CA

Jerrys Birthday at the hippie compound, Oakland

Jerry

The Plan

For the last few months since taking on art fulltime I've been extra conscientious of everything around me, reading (books, interviews, bios), watching (movies, music videos, previews, people), listening (npr, music, radiolab), exploring, learning, reaching out - gleaning valuable insights - taking everything and turning it all into this Grand Master Plan (in lists). This is the combo of all the marketing, strategy, networking, art, travel I need to do in order to make it as an artist. I haven't completed a single thing on the list - so far.

Perseverance.

Looks a lot like the inside of my brain: composed of paper scraps, cardboard, ink, post its, markers and tape. No surgery required.

It's top secret though. I really need to type this up.

Mr. Kim

A Oakland neighbor let me stay at his deep Brooklyn, Bensonhurst place while I was in NY. I got to the door after the long trek from the airport, was struggling with the keys when the door open itself from the inside ->>> Mr. Kim, there was some lack of clarity so I wasnt expecting to be having a housemate. A frail, older, petite Korean man. Strangely distant from living family. Once had a woman in Korea who he wanted to raise enough money to bring over and marry but time kept moving and the money never was enough - so she moved on too.

One night I was having coffee with him at the local Dunkin Donuts and all of a sudden he asks if he could offer advice. I say yes. He says "Get married. The older you get the faster time moves." Amazingly moving coming from a man dying of various illnesses who's been single all his life. He had stomach cancer. Fixed watches and jewelry alongside his partner Mr. Kang. 

Just found out Mr. Kim passed away 2 weeks ago on a Thursday.

Shocking even though I knew he was dying.

It was a pleasure knowing him even for the short time.

Notes on Dorsky

Went to the Pacific Film Archive last night to see Nathaniel Dorskys: August and After, The Return, and Pastourelle

They were all completely silent which was difficult because first of all that sense isn't engaged when it's used to being all the time, especially in a movie setting so you're distracted by the longing to hear the music that you think should be accompanying the beautiful visuals. You kind of go crazy and start to hear the score that doesnt exist. The second thing is you relay on the sound during a screening to relax completely, because any noise you make will be masked by the blaring sounds from the speakers but when there is silence any ambient noise is heard; rustling, chewing, adjusting, breathing, bowels moving....but those arent as distracting as your own attempt to be completely quiet. Silence is definitely something you have to train yourself to be in.

Notes for the Q and A:

-Learn to know what you're good at. It will work.

-the film Mussolini has such lack of bullshit - watch it. watch Joan of Arc

-look into ken jacobs

-cinema is light sculpture in time.

-The natural is very magical. When it's right reality begins to let it manifest.

-finish everything no matter how bad - it releases you into something new - or else youll be stuck.

-continuity through the various - extend beyond.

-its about generosity - are you telling people something or offering them something? - invite them to enter and discover. Lets you in.

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