Five questions to SFMOMA artists, staff, or guests. Kamau Amu Patton is a winner of the 2010 SECA Art Award, and his work is on view in the fifth-floor galleries. He may be familiar to Open Space readers; last year we posted a talk he gave on Nata Piaskowski.

Kamau Amu Patton

Do you collect anything?

A/V cables. Cables are quite interesting. They are about connectivity. And I make art with electronics, so for me they are an integral part of my practice.

If you could steal any artwork in the world to have up in your home, what would it be?

Anish Kapoor: The Origin of the World. Anish Kapoor makes amazing, beautiful work. Hard to choose just one, but I think The Origin of the World would be a great piece for any home. I like the idea of a work that transforms the architecture of the space in which it is installed. The Kapoor piece does this.

Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail?

My mom, she wanted to talk about painting.

What’s your favorite tool?

Pencil. Good for thinking.

What should I ask you?

You should ask me how to make a kite. I make my kites out of bamboo and paper. Tetrahedron kites are easy to make. You need straws, string, scissors, tape, and some paper. Here are some pictures on how to build the basic module. Make a bunch of these and put them together. Flying kites is fun!

Kamau Amu Patton is a interdisciplinary artist working in San Francisco and New York. He is a 2010 SECA Art Award winner, and his work is on view through April 3. You can hear him speak about his series on view here. He also will be a part of the museum-wide Now Playing event on March 15.