Denise Diokno

September 3, 2014

AVT180-006

Interviewer: Hi there Mr. White, how are you? How’s everything going?

Wayne White: Mr. White? Haha, don’t call me that it me feel old. I am old but I don’t want to feel like it. I’m good, I’m good thanks.

Interviewer: So let’s start with a common question Artists get. What does art mean to you?

WW: That’s a real loaded question.  I hate the word artist, there’s so much pressure that comes with the word. It’s so judgey. You’re either so insecure about being judged or full of yourself and judging others. Actually no, you’re usually both.  Art can mean different things for different people. It’s all up to perspective. There’s the pretentious view where art is part of the higher echelon of life and is supposed to be serious. I think that’s bullshit. Art is whatever, to me it’s all about the humor, it’s a way of expression.  So you can’t really define it.

Interviewer: You talk about humor a lot, why is that?

WW: It lightens the mood, it’s one of those things that are vital to human life. Well let’s face it, we’re all going to die. My sister made sure that I knew that. Humor is that escape from that truth. But ironically humor also provides truth. It’s intellectual and emotional at the same time. That’s why I try and put humor in my art.

Interviewer:  Humor and art, those two usually don’t go together. Why do you think people separate those two entities?

WW:  Well it’s the whole class system thing. People have this notion that art is usually for the rich and more intellectual and that humor is for the lower class. So they think that there really is no room for humor in art. I don’t really get it, I don’t think there’s anything more intellectual that art.

Interviewer: Last question, why “beauty is embarrassing?”

WW: Because it is. There is beauty in truth, and we all try be true to ourselves but embarrassed by it. We always want to be who we are, but so scared about being judged by society. Especially for me in the south, art wasn't a big thing, it was somewhat of a sensitive issue. So yeah beauty is embarrassing.