Leobardo Garcia

Curatorial Rationale

My artwork is about growing up, and the ways in which our memories of childhood and the identities that are formed by it, are impacted by the passing of time. For example, it surprises me on how much time has passed and how fast it can go. This subject to me is really important because I think it tells a lot about who I am now and what inspires me to be successful. Most of my artworks are photographs because by using the camera lens, I feel like the audience can see through my own perspective. The audience can then see these experiences through my eyes, at the moment that it happened. Capturing these memories means so much for me, and I can use that moment to connect to my present self so that I can learn from my memories that I have. I am deeply inspired by the photographs of David Wojnarowicz, and the way in which he explores his life experiences through visually symbolic images.

One of the two sculptures that I made is Faded Memories. In order to explore the memories of growing up in this piece I used materials that I played with or used when I was younger. There are Pokemon cards, rosary beads, darts, and a Chuck e Cheese ticket. All of those items take me back to a time where things in life were much simpler and all I cared about is to not be bored. Similarly, the photographs contain subject matter of materials that are found in my household such as the artworks Candle, Safe, Childhood, and Como Antes. The items I photographed are important to me, such as the candle which has been in my household since I was a kid. Each month my family places one candle for new blessings to come in our life. In Como Antes I used photographs from my family photo album which also takes me back to lost memories of my childhood. Each item I use in my artwork symbolizes part of me or my childhood and memories of certain moments that caught my attention as a kid. I intend to use these items so that the audience can see my view of how I grew up.

In order to reflect on childhood and the nostalgia I feel for those times, I use vibrant colors to emphasize the importance of that childhood memory. For example in my artwork Childhood the slide’s red and blue colors are vibrant because for me it expresses a strong emotion that makes the artwork eye catching. This is also shown in Safe which the vibrant colors of the candle make the photograph feel warm. I meant for this because I feel safe with the Jesus Christ figures and through the vibrant colors I can portray that perfectly. These vibrant colors I also used to catch the audience’s attention on the item I want them to focus on first.

The order the artworks are placed is to represent a timeline of me growing up, because through making each artwork I discovered a little more about my identity. It starts off with Road to Heaven and ends with Como Antes. It starts off with Road to Heaven because that is the first childhood memory that I turned into an artwork. It ends with Como Antes because it is the end of my trip down memory lane and it is just a reflection of my older self looking at the wonderful times that I had. The experience for the audience as they go along this small trip through my childhood is so that by the end of my exhibition they think back to their own experiences growing up. Since all my artworks are about me looking back at my memories growing up I hope that the audience also takes a moment to look back at their memories by the end of my exhibition. This is shown by how all my artworks are placed in order of older memories to recent ones. This is meant so that the audience can see me growing up as a child which tells who I am in the present time.

None of the artworks in this gallery are for sale.

Road To Heaven

Digital Collage, Photomontage, Photoshop CS5

32x47 cm

I created this image in order to remember my brother’s death. I used stock photos from Pexel to get images like the road with the sunset, the wings, and the two people walking. I want the image to have a calm, safe, and warm tone at the end of the road in order to signify hope after death. The second person on the right is me walking with my late brother. I was young so I didn’t know what was going on but through this artwork I’m able to say my goodbye.

Not Available

Faded Memories

Sculpture, found objects(Pokémon cards, cutting board, darts, old bandaid, etc.) I also used paint, sand paper, and a lighter.

35x25.4 cm

This sculpture represents memories that fade away over time. Each nostalgic object represents a memory from my childhood. The Pokemon cards are my background because that is where it all began: playing Pokemon games on my DS and collecting the cards. It's long ago that I remember so little which is why they are destroyed. The band aid holds the receipt, I want to keep memories of going to Chuck e Cheese as a kid. This sculpture takes me back to simple times when all that mattered is having fun.

Not Available

Childhood

DSLR Photography, edited with Lightroom and Photoshop

40.64x50.8 cm

I created this image because I wanted to show how depression can stem from places we never thought would be culprits. A person's childhood can change who they are and even make them the person they are in the present time. I decide to make the background dark because it gives the photograph that sad emotion I intended. The slide is tipped over because no one uses it anymore and is just left there as a memory of simpler times.

Not Available

From the Start

DSLR Photography, Lightroom

40.64x50.8 cm

For me being a Catholic, this image captures that as a kid I started to believe in God and I accepted it. This child is wearing a cloak depicting the Virgin Mary, someone who Catholics praise. The cloak is part of a traditional dance from where my family is from, Morelos, Mexico. The heavy black vignette on the edges is to emphasize the Virgin Mary in which I also make those blue, pink, and different shades of orange more saturated.

Not Available

Safe

DSLR Photography, edited in Lightroom

40.64x50.8 cm

This artwork is a recreation of a specific memory from my childhood, highlighting how I became very interested in these Jesus Christ figures. The hands are reaching out to the figures and comforting them. The rosary beads are wrapped around the hand to have a connection with Jesus and it is also the end of a prayer. The candle is there because it is also part of the prayer and calling for Jesus to answer the prayer.

Not Available

Candle

Photography/GIF

This artwork shows the progression of a candle that is slowly melting each day for half a month. I created an endlessly looping animated GIF to show the repeating monthly cycle in which my mom, dad or I light it.The new candle represents a new beginning, and the person that lights it has to do a prayer. The candles are also bought from my nearest church which adds more religious belief to our tradition at home.

Not Available

Summertime

Digital DSLR photography, edited in Lightroom

40.64x50.8 cm

In this piece the picnic table is worn down which means the many times that I have gone to the park with family. I edited it with the intentions to make the grass clearer and have it subtle to keep the photograph with the sad mood I intend to portray.. The picnic table itself I made so that the color of the wood can be more gray and less dark. I also did let the table look gray and black because I intended it to look sad because of all the memories of growing up where I cannot go back to.

Not Available

Como Antes

Photography and sculpture (photo album and printed pictures)

17x12.5 cm

This artwork has pictures of me growing up as a kid. I destroyed each family photo because all of these memories are slowly forgotten as I get older. Over time, the details become not as clear; this photo album shows my process of how I look back at my memories with some details that are forgotten. I burned them to show how I cannot remember the details. Como Antes means “Like Before” in Spanish, the language my family speaks.

Not Available

Contact the artist at Leom369@gmail.com

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