MARGARET GARCIA

STATEMENT


“My great grandmother had 24 children, 5 sets of twins in that number.
Grandma only had 13 with her stepchildren. Some died in WWII some moved
away to other states, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and other parts of
Texas. So I was born into a family that has been here a long time and
still have members in Mexico. I was born September 20, 1951in East Los
Angeles, not far from where my father was born. I grew up in Boyle
Heights and my mother still owns the house there. Grandma was born 1906
and was the eldest of the 24. She is one of the most important figures
in my life. She exposed me to Art and books, corrected my english and
my spanish and embued me with a strong sense of self, a strong sense of
pride. I didn't think that was unusal but now I understand how special
our circumstances were. She owned a Utrillo painting. It hung in her
living room. She went to school and studied nursing, cut her hair short
and wore pants.”

“It has made me realize how important my family is and what those
relations mean. My work concerns itself with the individual. Individual
moments that I share.The painting is a document of that moment I share
with them. The most important thing is the moment. In this we share
stories about ourselves and how we share our lives. The portrait
becomes a record of that moment. It is so much harder to stereotype a
people or a person whose face is presented before you and you are told
or you read that that individual is a teacher, a filmmaker, an author. 
So as a whole the body of work I provide is a look at my community
through the presence of the individual. The painting of Lalo Guerrero a
legendary song writer and musician my father used to dance to. The
opportunity to paint his portrait was one of the most delightful
experiences I will remember. This is my history and my family.”

                                -MARGARET GARCIA