deth p. sun

11 Things: Deth P. Sun

Thursday, January 29, 2009

We caught up with East Bay artist Deth P. Sun recently and asked him to share 11 things circling around his mind.

1. "Deth" is my first name. It's a Khmer name. I'm Chinese-Cambodian, but the Chinese side is also from Cambodia. I'm only writing this 'cause someone asked me.

2. My girlfriend, Marci, is also a painter. She has a solo show in April at Rena Bransten, and she's been away for the month of January at Yaddo, an artist residency in upstate New York.

3. We went to visit Edward Gorey's house in Cape Cod this summer, and it was pretty awesome. They turned his house into a museum, and we stayed at the haunted inn next door, ate at his favorite restaurant and swam in the pond near the local cemetery.

4. I'm 29 and still don't know how to drive. Last year my friend tried teaching me. On the first try I hit a parked RV. On the second try I nearly ran over a jogger in the big cemetery in Oakland. I think giving up on the idea of driving is probably for the best.

5. The person who designed New York's Central Park (Frederick Law Olmsted) also designed the big cemetery in Oakland. I go jogging there. I like hanging out near the turtle pond and once found a headstone that had the words "killed by ..." written on it.

6. I'm trying to learn how to cook. Two of the first things I learned to make were corned beef and cabbage and fried pork chops. I don't recommend making corned beef more than twice a month 'cause that's a lot of meat.

7. I just developed an allergy to wheat this past year. I figured it out after a night of heavy (Irish) car bombing. It kind of sucks, but since I don't eat bread, drink beer or eat any processed food, I've gotten a lot healthier. I'm just happy that bourbon is made with corn.

8. I live in Oakland but my studio is in San Francisco. I take the T past the ballpark to get to it. I'm looking forward to going to see a game there after work.

9. In a year I hope to be living in Rhode Island. I like the state 'cause the eating's different and I'd like to experience cold weather.

10. Deth P. Sun's "This Too Shall Pass" appears at Rowan Morrison through Feb. 14, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat., 330 40th St., Oakland. (510) 384-5344. www.rowanmorrison.com.

11. His work is also on display at Palo Alto Art Center's "Tales From an Imaginary Menagerie" with Randy Bolton, Ria Brodell, John Casey, others. Through April 26. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 7-9 p.m. Thurs., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 1313 Newell Rd., Palo Alto. (650) 329-2366. www.paacf.org.

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/29/NS0L15G5OP.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

www.dethpsun.com (for more)!