Local Latino Artist of the Month Anthony Garcia Sr.

Local Latino/a Artist

of the Month

- Anthony Garcia Sr. -

Anthony Garcia Sr. is the executive director and lead artist of Birdseed Collective, a nonprofit that specializes in community engagement through the arts. Anthony is also a painter that works on canvas as well as public spaces. His work often references the zarape (sarape) blanket. He likes to deconstruct the colors and patterns of the zarape to create movement, energy, and warmth on otherwise dead spaces. Anthony also focuses on gradients, patterns, and color theory.

Click for a Google Earth map of Anthony's work

@zarapestudios

@thebirdseedcollective

@birdseedanthony

Visiting students at Garden Place Academy.

How do you incorporate your heritage, identity, &/or culture into your work & why?

Being able to paint large spaces allows me to connect with the people of that particular area. I feel it makes very accessible and easy to relate to, which I am. I am a prime example of a kid from the hood who, if given the right opportunities, can accomplish big things. I try to share that idea with my people as much as possible.

Does your work comment on current social or political issues? How? Why are you choosing to comment on these issues?

Our neighborhoods are changing because of many things including gentrification. It’s important that my work speaks to our people and sends a message that we are here to stay.

“End of the day”

Acrylic on canvas

12”x12”

Location: Riverdale Regional Park

Tell us a bit about being a Latino artist or the Latino artist community.

I believe that because of who I am, I need to work harder than everyone else. I make sure that I am always evolving and progressing in order to be successful. I also believe that I’m not successful until we, Latinos, are all successful. My hard work has given me a platform so I can sit at tables where our voice as a people can be heard.

Address the use of color in your work. For example, what are you trying to communicate, or what impression are you trying to make, by using color?

I enjoy finding color theory in unlikely places. For example, a wall that has been painted many different shades of grey has become a living thing. A tree is green, but how many shades of green? Each leaf is different.

I like to use hard lines or solid pieces of color to create a separation between that color and the next. I also use patterns and repetition in my work to create gradients. This works with both my large scale public pieces and my smaller canvas work. I try to incorporate the traditional color patterns of the zarape to reflect our culture but I also leave room for interpretation.