8:30am Alms

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36 x 36 x 2.5 in.

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Acrylic, ink, cotton rag mat, 99.9% pure silver leaf, vintage map, resin, on deep-cradled wood panel

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$4,500

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Available for purchase; for inquiries, please contact: toshee@toshee.org

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In the days after Jonathan Gold died, I was in my studio reshooting pieces in my series “LAyered.” It’s a collection I’d like to think Mr. Gold might have appreciated, because it delves into hidden and in-plain-sight cultural gems all over our city. But there’s another reason: Food culture was an important undercurrent in the series.

The evening I reshot “8:30AM Alms,” I was listening to Evan Kleiman's "Remembering Jonathan Gold" tribute on KCRW, reflecting on how he had profoundly influenced the way I took in the city. That piece was followed by a compilation of classic “Good Food” segments. The first one featured was from 2001, in which Gold reviewed Thailand Plaza, the setting of this painting. He described the funky setup, the singing Thai Elvis, and the surprisingly good food, all tucked away on the second floor of a market with a very conspicuous neon street sign.

I don’t know if he was aware of the regular Saturday morning Thai Buddhist gathering in the parking lot, where the local temple ministers to the faithful and collects alms, but it seems like a very Gold moment to share, if there ever was one.