Eric García is a New Mexico artist who uses history and a graphic style to create political art that confronts our understanding of the present. Utilizing a variety of mediums, his work intends to challenge viewers to question sources of power and the whitewashing of history. 

Aim High is an ongoing series that originated in Roswell, New Mexico, in which the artist explores sci-fi concepts such as space, aliens, and invasion through the historical lens of colonialism and expansionism. With two video game projections and a series of ink drawings, García draws connections between the westward expansion of the Americas, the exploration of outer space, and the occupation of other people’s spaces.

The show’s title, Aim High, was a metaphorical and literal slogan the US Air Force used to inspire airmen to always push themselves to new heights. As an Air Force veteran and a Chicano, García’s personal experiences fueled this series and exhibition theme.

Both my heritage and my experience in the military has had a huge influence on this body of work and my work in general. I am the conquered and the conqueror. I am the colonized and the colonizer. I am a descendant of the Indigenous lands north of the Rio Grande conquered and colonized by Spain and then by the United States. Like many generations of black and brown people have done before, I enlisted in the occupying military with the hopes of opportunities within the empire. After awakening from the “American dream” I now use my privilege to deconstruct our country’s false narratives. By reexamining forgotten stories in an accessible and visually striking way, my work can be a tool with which to share, learn from and spark critical dialogue. Specifically, I make art to prevent historical amnesia and cultural erasure.

Eric García

Aim High is on view through July 16 at Ogden Contemporary Arts in Ogden, Utah.

For more information, visit ogdencontemporaryarts.org.

See also

Tagged: Exhibition Announcement, Utah