Jon Gray - “The Plate is a Passport”

ON THE COUCH's first-ever guest is Jon Gray — co-founder of Ghetto Gastro, the Bronx-born collective that uses food to spark conversations about culture, race, power, and belonging. Jon calls himself “the dishwasher,” but his work has moved from the block to the museum to the boardroom, merging food, art, fashion, design, and music into a cultural movement. What many people don’t realize is that Jon doesn’t think of food as his product — he sees it as his medium, using it to tell stories that will make you rethink every meal you've ever eaten. In this episode, he’s seated on a foam couch by John Chamberlain — the perfect setting for a conversation about making art from everyday materials.Follow our host: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrafairweather/Follow our guest: https://www.instagram.com/ghettogray/Stay up-to-date with the John Chamberlain Estate:Follow the John Chamberlain Estate: https://www.instagram.com/johnchamberlainestate/ To learn more about the work and mission of the John Chamberlain Estate, visit: https://www.john-chamberlain.com/ Media inquiries: chamberlain@dadagoldberg.com---------------Timestamps: 00:20 Introductions 1:51 Origin story of Chamberlain’s Shelter Island studio 2:51 Jon’s early discovery of art 4:32 Jon’s dream place to live7:20 G SPOT, Jon’s new gallery project9:29 How to make museums more accessible11:17 Jon reflects on his residency at The Met 13:38 How Ghetto Gastro came to be17:54 What’s next for Ghetto Gastro? 18:21 The Bronx in three words 19:26 Jon’s riskiest early-career moves22:23 How the matriarchs of his family influence Jon’s work24:57 Chamberlain's work as a hairdresser in the Motown era26:48 Jon on being honored by the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit28:00 Little-known stories from Chamberlain’s early life 29:07 The best meal of Jon’s life32:53 The unique history of gumbo35:03 The legacy Jon wants to leave39:51 Chamberlain’s restaurant on Shelter Island40:47 Jon teases his new concept on sushi41:32 The best piece of advice Jon received in his youth42:08 Making art that’s hard to define45:52 Bringing back play47:00 Lightning round questions  48:35 Outro & Credits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.