My graffiti really comes more from a May '68, sort of Situationist vibe than the hip-hop world. I think a real graffiti artist would find me a poser.

Film is endlessly just beyond your reach. I think that's what I love so much about it.

To me, sadness and humor aren't disrelated and humor is the best tool I've had against the sadness in my life.

L.A. is so isolated and unhip in a way; it gives you room to figure out who you are and explore more personal stuff.

I would hate to think I'm promoting sadness as an aesthetic. But I grew up in not just a family but a town and a culture where sadness is something you're taught to feel shame about. You end up chronically desiring what can be a very sentimental idea of love and connection. A lot of my work has been about trying to make a space for sadness.

OK, so my parents were married in 1955 and my mom knew my dad was gay and my dad knew he was gay and so I was, like, 'Why in the heck did you get married?' Like, what was going on? What was that time? It's like this crazy paradox that my whole life is based on, or my family's based on. So I spent a lot of time trying to understand '55.

I was so happy with my bow ties from the last kickstarted project that I'm back for more.