Luis M. Garcia grew up between his family’s home in Los Angeles, CA and their ranch in Mexico, surrounded by a wealth of Catholic and Indigenous folk art. These aesthetics influenced him as he began to explore printmaking in high school, and he soon fell in love with the medium. He would later study silversmithing at UNM Taos, and he continues to craft jewelry and create prints to this day from his studio in northern New Mexico.
Garcia’s prints are intricate creations where radiating lines come together to form mesmerizing images of animals, plants, landscapes, religious icons, and fanciful and imaginative figures that hypnotize the eye and ignite the imagination. He has a keen eye for evoking the drama and motion of a static image, whether of a hawk in flight, a crouching hare, a coyote howling at the moon, or even billowing clouds above a wind-tossed sea.
His upcoming show at Hecho a Mano will feature relief prints inspired by a collection of Mexican proverbs, also known as Dichos, that Garcia’s mother gathered. “A Dicho is a saying that usually refers to a morality that an elder is trying to convey to a child or another person,” Garcia explains. Some of the Dichos that inspired his images in this show include “Uno viste el mono para que otros lo baile” (One dresses the monkey while others dance with him), “Mas sabe el Diablo por viejo que por Diablos” (The Devil knows more because he is old than because he is the Devil), and “El Corazon no envejese el cuerpo es el que se arruga” (The heart doesn’t age, our body is the one who wrinkles). Proverbs like these can be handed down from generation to generation to impart and sustain aspects of cultural knowledge, insight and philosophy. Some of his images illustrate the Dichos literally, while others are more loosely inspired by their teachings. He produced this set of images all in relief using linoleum blocks and ink on paper. This collection will be the first installment of a three-part body of work he’s in the process of developing that further explores the Dichos his mother collected. The title of the show, Los Dichos De Doña Cuca, honors his mother and the work she did to preserve these proverbs.
Garcia now has a studio in Arroyo Hondo, NM, ten miles north of historic Taos where he has been living and working for the last twenty years. He describes his printmaking practice as “very meditative,” saying that he can get lost in the process of carving the block for hours. He draws inspiration from northern New Mexico’s striking landscapes, brilliant sunsets, and the diverse flora and fauna that surround him. He loves to listen to music while he works, blasting classical music, blues, jazz, R&B and even rap to spark his creativity. He also nurtures a strong connection to his Mexican background, returning often to Mexico to visit old friends and artists’ studios, and to meet new artisans. The aesthetics of Catholic and Indigenous folk art continue to be a strong influence in his work, and he values the religion, tradition and culture they reflect.
Los Dichos De Doña Cuca will open at Hecho a Mano on Friday, March 7 and will be on view until March 31.
