Saturday, May 12, 2007 through Sunday, September 23, 2007
The San Jose Museum of Art presents the first major museum exhibition outside of Los Angeles of Camille Rose Garcia, an artist emerging from the Los Angeles underground scene, whose narrative-based works express an acute political consciousness. The artist’s seemingly light-hearted paintings and drawings of charming cartoon-like characters actually depict dark tales of violence, corruption and greed, and seek to comment on the turmoil of contemporary society. Her first museum solo exhibition surveys her work with an emphasis on her most recent creations, showcasing paintings, drawings, sketchbooks, prints, sculpture, and site-specific installations, and is complemented by a book-length catalogue.
Garcia’s work stems from growing up in the suburbs of Orange County and making frequent visits to Disneyland, “the happiest place on earth.” The artist quickly grew to recognize its artifice and contradictions, and she witnessed the realities of privileged suburban life – adolescent alienation and social marginalization. Her precious glittered compositions are infused with a sense of discontent, yielding works that are simultaneously disturbing and attractive.
Garcia is a notable member of a Los Angeles underground contemporary art movement known as the “Pop Surrealists” or “Lowbrow” artists, who combine dark surrealism with an eclectic array of pop culture sources, including comics, animation, and 1950s television. Garcia is particularly influenced by Walt Disney, punk bands like the Dead Kennedys, and sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick. In addition, she draws upon diverse artistic and cultural sources, such as the work of her former teacher Paul McCarthy, illustrations by nineteenth-century artist Aubrey Beardsley, myths and fairy tales, and Japanese art, specifically traditional woodblock prints and the anime inspired work of Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. From these references, she has crafted both a style that is unique and content that is a good deal more political than the work of her contemporaries.
Garcia has produced over ten distinct series, each with unique themes that stem from world affairs, such as the 2004 Southeast Asian Tsunami, or from personal experiences, like the death of her twelve-year old dog. For example, Retreat Syndrome was produced immediately after 9-11 and addresses how people cope with the aftermath a traumatic occurrence. Garcia’s epic tales are inhabited by a cast of characters, who reckon with violently destructive forces, exposing the horrors of the world around us.
