Artomatic 2012 is Ricardo (Ric) Garcia’s third ArtOMatic (he also participated in 08 and 09) and this year you can find him on the 11th floor, Space 1181. Just in case you need a map for the 11th floor (and you probably do), to get to Ric’s space go past the freight elevator through a room filled with great art, then to the right. A few steps down the hall, pivot quickly around and there you will find his work! He says: “Yeah, it’s a maze and took me 3 tries before I figured out a quick way to my space!” But don’t give up! Because standing in front of his work “will make you want to SALSA! – it will make you happy!”
Ric says that he participats in ArtOMatic to learn, network and to find out what other artists have been up to. He finds the professional development workshops great and highly recommends participating in an ArtOMatic if you’re considering making a lifestyle choice to pursue art. “ArtOMatic is a great trial by fire!”
Describe what you’ll be showing this year.
I’m a painter and digital print maker and view my body of work as a “street style”. I’ve never tagged a thing in my life, but I can relate to the style’s immediacy, energy, and flexibility to convey ideas. My version is highly graphic, distressed with flat and bold colors, not more than 3 or 4 colors. Some of the paintings and digital prints are about objects and concepts related to my Cuban heritage, while others are about the displacement of nature in favor of urban sprawl and ideas about the anti-hero in popular culture. I always allow for varied subject matter at ArtOMatic, but I think all of the work should feel like it plays well together.
Ric has made art for himself and others “for a long time” As a child, he was encouraged to draw or paint by his parents. “When I was in college, I realized I could use these skills professionally and I studied visual design and illustration. Then after a couple of years of independent study with artists Trinka Margua-Solomon at the Smithsonian, I dispalyed a few pieces at ArtOMatic 208 and haven’t stopped since.”
Ric also took on some of the hard interview questions [GO! RIC!]
What is the role of the artist in society?
I think an artist has a responsibility to be active in their community. That will have a different meaning for each person. I also think an artist should actively express their
opinions on social issues even at the expense of commercial success for any particular piece. I regularly fall short of these ideas, but when I have the time and opportunity, I reach for them.
What is the place of your work in society?
My works’ place in society is in someon’e living room or den. In other words, I think it has a very personal appeal.
But more seriously, I would say that my work should aspire to improve, comment and expand the human condition. I realize that sounds like a lofty aspiration, but if my work makes you smile or produces a generally warm fuzzy feeling, it may actually have improved your condition. If another work sheds light on a topic or increases your sensitivity to another person or group, then I would say that the human condition has been both commented upon and expanded. I also think it’s best done with a touch of humor.
Ric says that hitting a slump is a sign for him of creative fatigue. “The best way I found to recharge is by staying engaged with my work space and artists friends. The temptation is to walk away and look for a solution somewhere outside of art making. That may work for some artists, but I’ve found the best cure is to be in the studio or the studio of another artist. Visiting another artist and talking to them about their art is also good for recharging. When I’m in my studio I clean up, organize, do chores like fill paint jars and update email contacts – that sort of stuff. Talking to my six year old daughter about art helps too, as does wathcing a lot of ART:21.”
Ric’s favorite artists are Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger and Banksy. Their work helps him look at his work with confidence and a critical eye. “They inspire a work ethic in me that asks, ‘how can I raise my standards to match theirs?'”
You can see more of Ric’s art at the artdc.org Gallery in the Lustine Center in Hyattsville’s (MD) Gateway Arts District, where he is participating in a group show. A video walk through by Gallery owner and operator Jesse Cohen is here. That show is up June 9 – 23 with a reception on June 9th from 7 – 10pm.
From 1 – 6 on June 9th, Ric will be selling prints of his work at the Art-to-Go Marketplace in the ArtOMatic lobby [back of the building, first floor]. His prints are reasonably priced at $18 – $25 for 4″x6″ pieces in clip frames, and $80 for 13″ x 17″ unframed prints.
Ric is also participating in a traveling exhibit, The 2012 Sketchbook Project World Tour. This project is run by Art House, an independent Brooklyn-based company that organizes global, collaborative art projects. His sketchbook is in California: LA last weekend, and next month in Oakland. Then it will travel to Massachusetts and Maine.
Finally, you can always visit Ric at his website: http://ricgarcia.typepad.com/
To read more interviews and see more photographs from ArtOMatic 2012 and earlier ArtOMatics, go here.
