ROY presents: J. Leigh Garcia
Fueron Bautizados
As a biracial Latina, a seventh-generation Texan of European descent on my mom’s side and granddaughter of Mexican immigrants on my dad’s, I have followed the roots of my own ancestry to shape my artistic practice. Major events in Texas history such as the Mexican-American War, The Battle of the Alamo, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and Bracero Program have created a complex relationship between my two cultures: Texans and Mexicans. The residual racial discord that has resulted from these historical moments—particularly, the racialization and displacement of unauthorized Latinx immigrants—is both the context and focus of my work. Through printmaking, papermaking, and installation art, I encourage awareness of our current immigration and foreign affairs policies through the lens of my biracial cultural identity.
ROY asks
What is your name and preferred pronouns
J. Leigh Garcia she/her/hers
How has art (whether it be your own or art in general) changed you?
I consider myself to be a research-based artist, specifically using Mexican Texas history and biracial identity development models to contextualize my work. Investigating components of my cultural, ethnic, and racial identity through the lens of an artist and researcher has allowed me to more fully process my own biracial identity. Additionally, while making this work and exhibiting with artists exploring similar conceptual themes, I have come to recognize and better understand the ways in which art making, viewing, and appreciating can bring people together and amplify underrepresented voices.
How did you start your artistic practice?
As a teenager, I was fortunate enough to attend Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, a public arts magnet in Dallas, Texas, where I was introduced to printmaking in my junior year by the late, great, Eva Kutscheid. The structure and planning that goes into print processes is what first drew me to this form of art. However, the more I learned about printmaking's history as a medium used to instigate social and political change, specifically throughout the Mexican Revolution, the more it became apparent to me that I wanted to dedicate my life to this practice. Having made prints for over a decade now, I am continually fascinated by the range of techniques and processes that fall under the umbrella of printmaking. Every time I step into the studio, I feel honored to, in some small way, perpetuate the legacy of this powerful, political medium.
When a first-time viewer sees your work, what is the first word that you hope they think when looking at it?
Instigating
Read J.Leigh Garcia’s interview with Alive here