WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU DO IN THE MORNING?
There are many times that are morning. Sometimes its 3 o’clock, sometimes its 5 o’clock, and sometimes its 9 o’clock. On a rare occasion it’s 11 or 12 o’clock. The same thought always occurs. “I can’t remember going to sleep!”
WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU DO AT NIGHT?
Go to sleep, although I can’t remember what that is.
WHAT TAKES YOU TO CLOUD 9?
My ’56 Ford truck cruising along Pacific Coast Highway.
DO YOU HAVE A SOUNDTRACK TO YOUR LIFE?
Yeah, my wife’s voice telling me what to do and that I can do better.
WHAT ARE YOU BORED BY?
I don’t know what it is but I know when I see it when it happens. Certainly, every day is filled with things that maybe get done, most of them not the most thrilling, exhilarating, or interesting things to do. They are not the most interesting aspects of life. This is the string that holds the pearls together, the most interesting high points. Is every day life boring? The things we must maintain to get to the high points? Now as I’m thinking about it, perhaps you are thinking of things that are excruciatingly boring.
WHAT SHOULD WE BE READING?
Should be a word that we should avoid. Because, it implies rectitude. Yet, reading is critical. Of course we know about the detriments of internet, instagram and all of that. And that those things don’t enhance our memory and cognitive abilities. And of course reading really relaxes you when you are going to the toilet. Now you might argue that instagram can serve the same function; the thing is instagram has an algorithm that designed to create an addictive behavior. and a person might have a hard time to get off the toilet, or not get off or simply stay.
WHAT IS THE BEST CULT CLASSIC?
‘’Greasers Palace” a film by Robert Downey senior.
WHAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME?
People are always very concerned about that. Obviously they will have to wait to find out.
WHAT IS YOUR PERFECT MEAL?
The perfect meal. The thing about a perfect meal, you don’t know until you have had it; especially in restaurants.
WHAT DO YOU COLLECT?
Ken Brecher pointed out to me that there is a difference between collecting and amassing. And it’s such an interesting work nowadays, often used as a proper noun for a person. Another revelation has been that the act of acquiring, and buying and even shopping triggers endorphins and reactions that are akin to religious experiences. To come back to your question…what things do I have a bunch of: kitchen knives of all qualities and functions, hammers, bicycles, snail seashells that look like breasts and nipples, toy trucks, books especially Italian design, CD’s, DVD,s, empty uni boxes, topped off with a major bunch of my own work. AND every Mephisto sandal that I’ve worn, and tools especially for obscure functions.
WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS?
Really when this question is answered with lists of famous people, which think this alludes to, those kinds of influences, and I’ve named many people in discussions over the years…..something that I never told anybody, is I’m really impressed with anyone that can pay their rent. What inspires me about that is the diligence and discipline to actually make that payment every month. And it inspires me to do the things I’ve got to do to get my work done.
WHERE WOULD YOU FIND YOUR DOPPELGÄNGER?
Sometimes people say “You really remind me of such and such a person I know”, or “You’re just like a person I know.” I realized the implication is that they really like that person and transfer that feeling to me. Is that where I would find my doppelgänger?
WHAT IS GOOD DESIGN?
Now theres a question. What is design? Now if you were a a religious person in Brooklyn you’s say “Dere’s de sign.” Yes, there’s a vision.
WHERE DO YOU FIND GOOD DESIGN?
Brooklyn.
WHAT ARE YOU WEARING?
Mephisto fisherman sandals (I wish Mephisto do a collaboration with me). Striped socks. Short deep olive green pants. Striped tee-shirt (it’s a responsibility).And reading half-glasses that I got in Venice, Italy.
WHAT DOES YOUR HOUSE SMELL LIKE?
It doesn’t smell at all, so it must smell like me. Maybe it smells like my wife. My studio has more pronounced smells. Mostly it smells like the slight earthy smell of clay. And in the morning is smells like espresso. We live in Los Angeles, and of course the overriding smell is the smell of the city. We think of it as normal, but some days a little bit smoggy. By in large, just like Californians don’t think they have an accent, we don’t think we have a smell.
WHAT DOES YOUR HOUSE SOUND LIKE?
Instagram, birds and coyotes. The most pronounced sound is the sound of the coyotes, which is a relatively new sound in the urban landscape. And we really have a lot of coyotes, and when they get together, it is a cacophony that’s really impressive, unnerving, and reminds us that there is really an aspect of wild things that can’t be duplicated by artifice.
WHAT IS DEAR TO YOUR HEART?
My wife because she is helping me type this thing out and otherwise my life would be a living hell. What a question. It’s the thing that’s dearest to my heart.
WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
To quote Jimmy Durante, “Have you every wanted to go, but you wanted to stay?"
WHAT IS A RULE THAT SHOULD NEVER BE BROKEN?
You should never do anything that’s in bad taste.
WHAT IS A RULE THAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE BROKEN?
You should do never do anything in bad taste. Always do something that is in bad taste.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?
Today, 5am, I had a banana with 15 almonds. And at 7am, I had my blood thinners and a sip of water to wash it down and went back to bed until 12 noon. Yesterday I had 3 eggs over medium, a slice fruit and nut bread with butter, and mangos and banana with yogurt.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD IN ANY LANGUAGE?
Bitchin’, cazzo, subarashi. They all mean the same thing. They are exclamations.
WHAT IS MOST DIFFICULT TO FIND IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE?
Fair play, integrity, and trustworthiness.
WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST EXCITING IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE?
Books, vintage cars, machinery, radical architectural buildings of the last century, high quality crafts.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY?
Maple sugar candy.
WHAT THOUGHTS CURRENTLY OCCUPY YOU?
Going to Venice Beach this afternoon.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL?
Cats!!!
WHAT IS STILL A MYSTERY?
Where we came from, and where we are going to.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE REPRESENTATION OF SIMPLICITY?
Simplicity doesn’t exist. It is an illusion.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE REPRESENTATION OF COMPLEXITY?
Just because you don’t know, doesn’t mean that others may do.
WHAT DO YOU SEE OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW?
Which window? I see psychedelic colors. What I would like to see the trees swaying in a heavy wind.
WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL NOSTALGIC?
George Bernard Shaw said is keep your window shiny bright, its’ what you see the world through.
WHAT DO YOU FIND HUMOROUS?
The state of humorous is an ecstasy.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SLOGAN?
We looked up the definition of slogan, “a short and striking or memorable phrase used in advertising.” The things I repeat often are adjunct to slogans for advertising. One is “I saw a color TV”. There was a couple for an anti-histimine. They weren’t slogans, but they were by-lines. “What’s a matter buddy, can’t taste that thick juicy steak?” another was “Mother, Please, I’d rather do it myself."
WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY?
All the photographs my father took.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES OR HEROINES?
Jaques Tati. Nino Rota.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MISTAKE?
Getting married.