AN INTERVIEW WITH JERROD WHITE

Jerrod White is a multi-media artist based in Brooklyn, New York, who makes deeply emotional drawings and portraits. He is also a photographer and works with various artists on album art. White talks to Teresa and Sam about dabbling in different mediums, balancing work and his art, as well as his artistic process.

Sam: Thank you so much for being with us today. We’re really excited to talk to you a bit about your work.

Jerrod: No doubt. Thanks for having me. Excited to talk about my work.

Sam: Can you just first tell us where you're based? Kind of give the listeners a description of the vibe of the work that you generally create? 

Jerrod: Yes, sure. So right now I'm based in Brooklyn, New York. And I would describe my work as dark but tender. Like, brooding but like, also kind of emotional. It looks a bit scatterbrained but 99% of it is intentional. So, it looks like it's an organized mess. Let's put it that way. Yeah.

Teresa: No, definitely. And also, we just kind of wanted to start with just about how you first got into creating art and finding this specific style that you describe it as?

Jerrod: Word. So, I pretty much just been drawing like, my whole life. Like I don't have memories where I'm not drawing, so I guess it's more so something I did for my health and how I landed on this specific style that I make now that I've been introducing it to people. It was kind of like a visual diary that I was working with.

And I think my work tends to reflect who I am as a person. So like, I kind of made it personal, but personal in a way that wasn't too exposing, I guess? Get an idea of what I'm like without spilling my beans, you know what I mean,? 

Sam: Yeah. And do you still feel—like when I look at your work, I kind of feel the beans being spilled. Like, I definitely feel like I do get a look into that. Definitely emotions. Do you feel like as you've grown as an artist, you're beginning to show more of that in your work?

Jerrod: Yeah, I think it has to do with just how my life is going, you know? My work will reflect where I'm at in life, and I think I'm at a point where I'm comfortable sharing my emotions with people because I realized people are more than what we give off, you know what I mean?

Like, I feel like people can connect with whatever emotion you put out there, as long as it's genuine. It can really touch people's lives. And I try to live by that, generally. Like, being a healthy amount of emotionally vulnerable with people just so like, you know. Everyone wants their humanity recognized on some which level. I think my work being emotional has to do with that philosophy that I've been following.

Teresa: And I guess, you know, throughout the pandemic over the last year, has that philosophy evolved? And if yes, how has your art or the way you approach it changed in the last year? If it has?

Jerrod: Yeah. I mean, it's inevitable, you know, my life changed with the pandemic. So I think, I guess because I work in health care, I'm already doing a public service. And I want to follow health care as part of my life and career, so I think that philosophy of like being, like, vulnerable with people…  It was a bit strenuous, I will say.

I had to dial back a lot of what I was willing to give people just because of the nature of everything that's been happening. So I think it definitely strengthened in a way. Like, I was very refined in how I wanted to approach life, I guess, because I feel like a lot of people went into survival mode.

So I think this is my survival mode. Like, reaching out to people, building community, and all I got is what I think and what I feel, so I try to give that to people and just give it to the right people, and it bounces back. So I think this situation lit a fire under my ass more than anything.

Sam: Definitely. And you kind of brought up part of the reason that we were interested in talking to you, because I know that you do work in healthcare, and you're pretty passionate about what you do. But you also seem equally passionate about the art that you do and the way that you go about promoting it. So I was wondering, first, just how do you find that balance between pursuing your art seriously, and working a job that you care about?

Jerrod: I think I balance it in a way that, professionally, I wanted to do something that fulfilled me on some level, and I'm very much an empathetic person. I like helping people, making the world a little bit of a better place. So I think, and part of the way that I balance it is, I use my paycheck from health care to fund my creative endeavors and you know, kind of like, spend money to make money, instead of like… I don't know.

I'm using my money more so to pursue art and then eventually I can get it to a place where my income is kind of sustained by things I'm passionate about, but not too much of the same thing. Because I get bored easily, so I think it just kind of spills over regardless.

Teresa: And when you first started, you know, sort of monetizing off of your art and selling prints, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced if you did face challenges?

Jerrod: Getting over myself, I will say. *Laughs* I think we step on our feet so much in general, especially in this society where we can be, like, solitary and be into our phones and shit. So I think trying to honestly get out of myself really helps. I reach out to people whose opinion I value or like, I will get more into myself in a way that doesn't inhibit myself, like try to reduce anxiety.

So that's a lifelong thing. So reducing anxiety off rip was a challenging thing to do. And I think the next thing is just logistics, man. I didn't realize how much shipping fucking art would take up all my time. I’m very grateful for the response. But dude I'm tired and it's… Yeah, it's honestly, it's just finding time sometimes. Because I feel very passionate about it.

So I think just monetizing off of it often takes up a lot of energy that I have to allocate. And it's a little bit of energy management, I think is a good way to describe it. Like monetizing off your art takes up a lot of energy, whether it's emotional, mental or physical. It takes up a lot of energy. So I think it's… Yeah, me allocating my energy properly allows me to monetize.

Sam: Yeah. And I think that's kind of an interesting thing you brought up about how it's good to have more orders. But then there's a lot more work to do. And I was wondering, how do you think about building up—and this could go for artists in any field—but how do you think about building up those networks, and like really letting people know about your art early on?

Jerrod: I think community is most important above all. No one does anything by themselves. Like, no one is great by themselves, keep it a book. Like rarely do we see these people who are just geniuses within themselves. But most people—we need other people. So I think it's vital for a budding artist because I don't think you'll get better until you absorb other people's ideas of the world, I guess. Damn, that’s an interesting question.

Teresa: And also, I guess, you know, with the pandemic and not being able to interact and see people as much, how have you found an art community or community of interacting with other people in this, like, weird, virtual-ish time that we live in.

Jerrod: Not to be full of myself, but I think personality comes through a lot digitally. Because I think what people had to give was a little bit more about how they could approach people in real life and places that can be or just like, or someone catches their eye. Whereas online community, you’re a bit of a self-starter. And I think it's… You know, part of it comes from the real-life experiences. Like, I work outside of the home. So I think I have an advantage in that I can talk to people every day.

But at the same time, I've been able to capitalize digitally just off of life experience. You know, we live in a digital age, all of us. Like all three of us did not grow up without a computer, I'm assuming? So I'm thinking, we got to use what we already know. And I think if you are good at adapting, you will use what you already know. That's like, you know, you haven't been in a part of such a deep online community since you're like 16, 17. But then when that comes back, and you can tap into that, I think it really has benefited the people who were like-minded in that way.

Sam: Yeah, that's a super interesting thing, because I’ve never thought of digital as like a big advantage in that way. But I definitely can see what you're saying. And I'd love to also dive into a bit of the mediums that you work in. I know like lately, it has been a lot of drawing, but I know that you also do a lot of photography. What do you find are the advantages and disadvantages to each medium?

Jerrod: I think photography is more of a group effort. It becomes a group effort very easily, because you have a model, so there's like, inherently a relationship between two people. So, I think doing photography work on your own is very challenging. It's very challenging, I feel like, to make a photo interesting without a human subject because that's what really attracts people to photography. So I think, just because I'm a solitary person, for the most part, it's weird to have such a deep relationship with a person artistically.

And drawing is kind of like—honestly, drawing’s biggest advantage is that it's so damn cheap to do. I don't have a lot of money, because I'm not like a doctor yet or anything like that. I make a little bit of money, so I think drawing has allowed me to just be creative without dropping some bread on a camera.

And like, that's not to say that photography is at a disadvantage because it's expensive, because you can make great photography with $10 cameras. Like I've made photography, that's great. I don't mean to brag, but I've made great photography for like 10 to $15. And I think that it's an advantage in that way that photography is still something you need another person for, but it's still 10 bucks. Like it's not sculpture making. But I don't think drawing really has too many disadvantages.

Teresa: If you had like, all the time and money in the world, is there like a medium in art that you would just really want to give a crack at? 

Jerrod: Sculptures. *Laughs* I don't have money.

Teresa: Who does?

Jerrod: Yo, like, go to sculpture museums and like, sculpture parks. You realize so quickly. I'm like, ‘oh, these motherfuckers have money!’ Like, sculpture artists. Like, you got to be dead lucky or an aristocrat… 

Teresa: Literally, we’re not bougie enough. *Laughs*

Jerrod: And you know, it's like, also, just meticulous as fuck, dude. Sculptures are made over a decade. Like, some of the best sculptures were made with people at different points in their lives. Also, glass blowing. Holy shit. Glass blowing blew my mind, son. So there's this museum in Seattle that I went to, I was just like, you know, ‘I got to do glassblowing at some time in my life.’ Like, I just got to put beside the money for it. So, sculpture making and glassblowing.

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Sam: And talk to us about the album cover stuff you've been doing recently. How do you approach working with artists? Did they approach you to do some of the art or was it like a collaboration? How do you approach stuff like that?

Jerrod: The people that I really collaborate with are people who reach out to me. They could be like a close friend or stranger, but I kind of do my own thing. I said it earlier, but I do art for my health. So if people fuck with it, that's cool. And that's generally how my collaborations happen, because I'm good.

Sam: Really? Yeah, that totally makes sense. Yeah, go ahead.

Jerrod: And just in terms of collaborating, I honestly think it's a little bit of a challenge for me because I just be…  Like I said, it's like an organized mess but that might not fit the commission I’m doing. So, it's a bit of a task to consider another person's opinion. Been an interesting challenge for me.

Sam: I can definitely see that. And then—sorry, to go back to something you mentioned earlier because it's been stuck in my head since you said it—because you said you talked a lot about having somebody else when you're taking a photo, like having to have somebody else with you or involve someone else. But I noticed that a lot of your prints that you're selling, at least I know a lot of the photography you do is also of subjects, but a lot of your prints don't have a subject. Why are those the photos that you gravitate to and are most interested in creating prints of?

Jerrod: I think it comes down to…  I think a lot of my subjects when I take photos tend to be people that are really close to me. And partially, I feel like it would be weird to have like a really close friend or a romantic partner on someone else's wall for life, even though you don’t like the person anymore. So I think about that, like ever since I started photography I'm like, boy, when I sell art it's gonna be weird having people's faces on someone else's wall. So I think that's more of a personal thing.

And also, I think it's a bit of a challenge to create stories without a human subject. So I think part of why I publish those photos more, it's just like, ‘look, I'm proud of this in a certain way.’ Not to say I won't post work of like, people I'm not close to or like, bands or anything like that, but I'm most fulfilled in photography when I'm able to have a great relationship with a subject or just something catches my eye.

Teresa: Yeah, I always thought it was kind of weird with photography. Just like, someone random is hanging in your house watching you sleep, lowkey.

Jerrod: You know, it's one thing if it's like a poster or something like that of the artist. Like it's a bit of an admiration in a way. But then you can have someone's uncle on your wall for life.

Teresa: So do you think about the titles of your pieces really intentionally? Or is it just something that you just feel is like, right, and you just kind of slap it on?

Jerrod: Oh, no, that shit is completely intentional. Very intentional. I think about that a lot before I make them. The most recent series I did—a series of nine drawing prints—I had them labeled one through nine for like, close to a year now. Like, it's very hard for me. Like, the only time I really name things is when I'm putting it out into the world because I have to categorize it in a certain way. Because in my mind, I know what it belongs to. But when I'm showing it to other people I have to have a name along with it. It sticks more.

Teresa: Yeah, so do you mind, I don't know, going in-depth on one title from that collection and sort of explaining where it came from?

Jerrod: Let's see what I'm thinking of. Oh, Circle of Swamp. That title. It's because, just personally, I feel like my head is a bit of an organized mess. I like, keep going back to that. So when I think of that, I think of a swamp. And some work, I'll just rotate the paper, just not thinking about it much. And then sometimes I'll just create a circular shape.

So I ran with that. And if you go around, there’s indications that it's like a globe, but also just like some scattered thoughts. So Circle a Swamp is like a snapshot of my mind in the moment. My world. 

Sam: Yeah, that's such a cool drawing and title. I feel like I totally see the intentionality behind that. And then kind of taking a step back, where do you see—I guess you've talked a lot about how your art just kind of is what you do normally—but what direction do you see your art taking in the future?

Jerrod: More expansive. Like, I think something I'll become more intentional with is I want to create my own little world through my art. So I think the more mediums I do, the more I can create my own little world. And then when I'm like 80, I can do a big-ass retrospective. And it could just go for like 10 mediums long, and all of it's going to be fire. Like, I'm gonna get a tufting gun one day, real shit, and make rugs. So that’ll be on the way when I'm like 35. So yeah.

Sam: What's the next medium?

Jerrod: The next medium is about to be pottery. Yeah, pottery. I've been talking about this a lot. You know, I've been wanting to make pottery for mad long. I want to make a bone ashtray. I want to make just little cute little things to put around my house.

Teresa: A cute little bowl, a cute little cup. 

Jerrod: Yes, Exactly, the one to put fruit in that everyone has.

Teresa: And people’ll be like, where did you get that? And you'll be like, I made it. Thank you

Jerrod: Right, here baby. *Laughs* So pottery is probably on the way. I found out there's a studio close to my girl's house. So I’m gonna hit that up.

Teresa: And then also looking at the paintings from the Crushed Grapes collection. For example, for White Flood. It kind of seems like something that I would make if I was really going through it one night. Do you make that all in one go? Or do you like to revisit your art and add to it from time to time? Or does it just all come in one sitting?

Jerrod: It really depends. I think that one was White Flood. Yeah, I drew the skeleton first. Or I guess whatever, that body first. And then I remember one night, I think it was one of the debate nights back in spring, and I was just like, holy shit. The world's gonna end dude. Like, what the fuck are we doing? So I just started writing. It felt apocalyptic.

You know, I was going through it in the sense that I feel like white people really ruined a lot of shit for us. And, in a way, it's a white flood cracking the concrete. Like, you see the city underneath their feet. The white flood is destructive, I guess. So that one comes back into two parts because it just two elements of what I felt at random times because some of it is just sketchbook shit that I just used as a diary. So, I guess I was a diary for like a week straight. And then sometimes it's a diary of one drunken night, one drunken stormy night.

Sam: You know, that's a beautiful way of putting it and I feel like that offered so much more insight into the piece.

Teresa: Yeah, I didn’t know white flood meant literal white people. *Laughs*

Sam: And yeah, I think that's pretty much all the questions we have for you. But I was wondering, what has been inspiring you lately?

Jerrod: I've been inspired by music a lot lately. More than usual. Been kind of genre-hopping on like, on like, not like a schizophrenic type beat, but just very fragmented playlists that are just very noisy and go to very quiet. I've been listening to that a lot when I draw. Also just the budding community around me. It's really dope to see how New York's been resilient. So I guess, yeah, the city has been resilient. So it's inspirational.

Sam: That's awesome. Well, thank you so much for sitting down with us. We really appreciate it. And we love your art and, obviously, we have a lot of prints now. So we'll be looking out for everything.

Jerrod: Exactly, four. We're gonna do 10, I swear.