What happens when you cross Disney and Dali with punk and psychedelia? If anyone had an answer it would be painter and sculptor Camille Rose Garcia. Garcia hails from California and has been painting since she was fourteen. Falling into the ‘lowbrow’ and ‘pop surrealist’ movements, her work often serves as a sort of analysis of the failures of capitalism in a sort of off-kilter kind of way. Through metaphor and symbolism, her work critiques the concepts of commercialized childhood, industrialization, and human greed. If the suburbs of Orange County, California are generic, as Garcia's website bio claims them to be, then the artist they produced is anything but.

I personally have been following Garcia since 2011 when I discovered her in a book of modern art called The Upset. From my first look at her paintings I was completely enamored; from the subject matter to the colors, and of course the glitter. Garcia has also done full illustrated versions of both Snow White and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Thankfully, Garcia’s paintings are not only satisfying visually, but as previously mentioned, carry a message. Often Garcia’s work is a statement on capitalism and the environmental destruction that comes with it. Recurring imagery such as mutated animals, evil-looking medications, and black oil-like substances lend a hand to this theme. Additionally, her work explores females specifically within this space.

Garcia’s rise is not only exciting because of the quality of her work, but because she is a female artist in an art world that is still largely dominated by men. Garcia is breaking through with her own unique style that has now matured into a full-on commentary on womanhood. Her most recent series Phantasmacabre explores the stages of a woman’s life and the power to be found in this.

All in all, Garcia’s art is fun to look at and even more fun to mull over. I urge all of you to take a look at her website: Camillerosegarcia.com. In addition to great art, she has really cool merch! Garcia has created an oeuvre of paintings that does the impossible (at least for me) in that all at once it appeals to my 70’s punk rocker vs. 70’s glam rocker vs. political scientist vs. starving artist sensibilities. Hopefully, you can find something that Camille brings to the table for you too!