Eric J. Garcia
A story map of Eric J. Garcia and his art work
Street art is visual art created in public spaces for the everyone to see. It is associated with words like "graffiti," "yarn bombing," and "murals." While street art first started in the 1960's, it reached its first Golden Age in the 1980's in New York City. New York became known for it street art through the tagging of street cars and the different pieces of arts put up daily around the city. While street art has become influential in our society, unless sanctioned by a property owner, it is illegal. Due to this fact, street art has created its own culture and unspoken ethics. As street artist and author, Rahn, stated, "the community’s ethics concerning graffiti’s illegal status ensures that it cannot be entirely co-opted. As it becomes popularized, writers seem to push their art back to the margins of a clearly distinguishable underground culture. Members are dedicated to their own code of ethics" (Rahn, 2002: 162). Much of the street art created is used to send political messages and/or allow the artist to use art as a form of self expression
Eric J. Garcia is a respected street artists who uses history and a graphic style to create political art that confronts our understanding of the present (Garcia, 2022). Using sculpture, mixed media installations, murals, printmaking and his controversial political cartoons, he aims to challenge his viewers to question sources of power and the whitewashing of history (Garcia, 2022). He is well known for his work in the Chroma Zone area and work in The Chicago Institute of Arts.
Chroma Zone is a Minnesota based mural organization where artists are hired to create sanctioned work in the Twin Cities. Chroma Zone allows artist to make connections within the community and work with property owners to create an ideal mural.
Eric J. Garcia was selected by Chroma Zone to create a mural in 2019. He partnered with E-Z Recycling to create "Frontier Justice." This piece depicts a deer and loon helping to clean the land of 10,000 lakes. The animals are seen working together to gather plastic bottles which in hand relates to the recycling company. He uses his cartoon art to send the message of importance of keeping our environment clean. The earth is our home and it is our responsibility to keep it clean not only for ourselves, but the others who share out earth.
Garcia is well known for his use of cartoons to send political messages, as seen in his "Frontier Justice." This is a common theme found in street art. Many artists use their art to create political messages and convey art that sends a message to the viewers.
"Visuals are powerful and influential. But they only work if there is an audience to see them. This is why I work in an assortment of media and venues: Murals in streets; “Fine art” in the gallery space; Printmaking which operates between fine art and grassroots activism; Political cartoons which normally live in but are not confined to news media. I am involved with all of these different arenas of production as a strategy to get the art and ideas ingested and digested." -Garcia
Garcia is also known for his work in Chicago. He has had numerous works of art displayed at the Chicago Institute to Art. It is common for street artists to move from street art eventually into gallery work. This allows the artist to make connections and a living for themselves through their work. Garcia has also been recognized by the city of Chicago for Chicago Artis Coalition: Artist To Watch in 2009.
"I hope they [viewers] take away the harsh reality of the U.S. government. I hope they [viewers] take away critical perspectives that have been buried and haven’t been given the spotlight they deserve. Ultimately, I hope people start thinking critically and questioning everything." -Garcia, when asked about the message behind one of his political cartoons.