David “Mr. StarCity” White

The Year of the Big Bless

- By Nathaniel Mary Quinn

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Dave— widely known as Mr. StarCity— in Los Angeles on occasion of his gallery solo exhibition, a medley of color-filled, figurative paintings and portraits, expressionistic in nature, embedded with a rare, unique form of honesty and vulnerability, an already courageous and ambitious exhibition made complete with live performances and video works. Prior to our physical encounter, during which we talked and laughed, embraced each other, and touched on a wide range of topics, Mr. StarCity had been in contact with me, for quite some time, via Instagram, where he has a strong and committed following of believers and dreamers, for Mr. StarCity is a magnificent mixture of affirmation, faith, and uninhibited hope for an optimistic future. With seamless consistency, he bestows upon me inspirational and benevolent quotes, normally capped with the phrase “Big Bless!” And he means it. I had the pleasure of speaking with him in advance of his much-deserved and irrevocably earned piece in Juxtapoz, from which the following questions were produced, along with his responses. Avid readers and followers, and those of you newly arrived, I present to you, Mr. StarCity…

Nathaniel Mary Quinn: I think that it is important and insightful for your audience to understand your art practice, in particular as it relates to your spirituality. How do you intertwine your art practice with your sense of spirituality?