We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kim, how do you think about risk?
Risk is something that shows up constantly in any creative field where there is no clearly defined outcome. There’s no guarantee that anything will be summed up with a happy ending or tied up nicely in a bow. Yet, risk also presents an opportunity to navigate discomfort and vulnerability, offering the greatest potential for growth and change.
For me, this meant choosing a professional path in the competitive realm of Contemporary Art, where success is far from guaranteed. I juggled multiple jobs and organized art projects to support my artistic journey, and I said yes to everything I possibly could. I even incurred student debt, worked more than 40 hours a week, and recently made a daring commitment to allocate more time to myself and my studio practice—a decision I’ve found to be my best so far.
Instead of pouring my energy and resources solely into my 9-5 job, I’ve now found alignment by working in education and dedicating more time to my own studio work. In my artistic endeavors, risk is embodied in the subject matter of a series. Presently, I’m immersed in a series that delves into my relationship with my father, who experienced a life-altering near-death incident in 2005 that left him disabled. This is the first time since the event that I get to confront my relationship with him in the hopes of strengthening our bond.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My artistic journey has taken various forms before settling into its distinct language. I secretly desire to reinvent my practice with each new series, yet I carefully balance this desire with maintaining a recognizable thread. Being an artist is a challenge in itself. You have to be your own time manager and cheerleader to get you through the tough days in the studio. At times, self-doubt can be a significant hurdle, but I continuously train myself not to let that negative voice stifle my creativity. It’s about endurance, and I’m actively working to establish a solid foundation for my art practice catered toward the long haul. I’ve had to learn how to work safely to prevent injuries from heavy materials and muscle fatigue. Being a maker involves the body, and I’m dedicated to learning new strategies to make my artistic practice sustainable for a lifetime of creation.
ach series I embark on is inspired by real-life experiences, allowing me to seamlessly blend elements of reality with fiction to explore themes of intimacy and influence stemming from social interactions. I view this process as a form of fiction where the adaptable nature of storytelling inspires a nuanced approach to preserving personal histories. My overarching goal is to add complexity to the narratives of second-generation Filipino-American histories and delve into the intricacies of post-colonial identity. My work ends up looking like a vibrant collection of colorful sculptures and drawings that fictionalize a personal event to explore power dynamics and trauma within interpersonal relationships, community structures, and memory.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were visiting the area, I’d plan an art-filled day for us, starting with some sushi at Hide Sushi on Sawtelle to sustain us for our gallery run. Our art journey would kick off with a visit to Shulamit Nazarian, followed by stops at VSF, Nonaka-Hill, Hannah Hoffman, Commonwealth & Council, Wönzimer, Phase Gallery, Ghebaly, Night Gallery and Vielmetter. After soaking in all that art, we’d head to the Red Lion Tavern to savor their pretzel platter and enjoy some drinks. If the night was still young, we might even catch a dance party or live music show at Zebulon.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shout-out to Phase Gallery, an artist-run gallery led by Ewa Słapa and Brad Howe. They have created a welcoming space for the art community and have nurtured emerging artists in Los Angeles. Currently, Ewa has an exhibition titled “constellating_body_(files)” that beautifully captures the shared conversations and interactions from all the openings at Phase Gallery through vibrant large-scale sculptures. This is the final show at their Lincoln Heights location, so I encourage everyone to visit before it concludes on September 16, 2023.
I frequently recommend this book to everyone I know: “Power of Gentleness: Meditations on the Risk of Living” by Anne Dufourmantelle. It serves as my go-to when I need a boost and helps me practice patience and self-compassion, especially when I find myself slipping into old negative thought patterns. It’s a quick but potent read.
Lastly, I’d like to give a shout-out to The Cold Read, a group I founded in 2018 that has since evolved into a thriving community of artists who continue to grow together. We collaborate on various opportunities and support each other’s practices through writing. There’s a core group of consistent artists with occasional new additions, and I’m excited to witness how the next session will continue to transform.
Website: https://kimgarcia.info/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimwantscoffee/
Image Credits
Work Documentation by Yubo Dong and Ewa Słapa. Artist Portrait by Matt Savitsky.