“Not Titled”, Orlando Garcia
“Not Titled”, Orlando Garcia
Orlando Garcia
Justice Arts Coalition
A national network and resource for those creating art in and around the criminal legal system.
A national network and resource for those creating art in and around the criminal legal system.
Dear Orlando Garcia:
My JAC volunteer friends and I were discussing your drawing, and we wanted to share our reflections. Sky sent hers in separately because she had to work.
From Sky: “The juxtaposition of words and art creates a uniquely urban streetscape, like the best graffiti surrounding the central figure. The skulls create a feeling of transcendence, the Day of the Dead, a connection to the past, and the spiritual essence underlying existence. The details on this art give it such potency, such power. The central figure’s lips look sewn shut, and tattoos cover the arm. And then there are those shoes — those Air Jordans, valued and valuable. I found myself wondering if he played basketball, if he wanted to leap as high as he could, away from that seated position, into a better tomorrow.”
We were moved by the power and sensitivity expressed in the figure. We only see half his face, his lips sewn shut, with “Money Talks” ironically inscribed beside it. His body is relaxed, undismayed by the name-calling and the taunts. It’s as though he’s saying, “ok, if that’s how you label me as a bad guy, as a “Bad to the Bone Money Making Mexican sporting Air Jordans,” then fine, have it your way — but I’m not going reveal all of me; that’s far too complex for you to understand.”
His gaze is straightforward, unintimidated, and at the same time, we noted a spring-like tension; Snow compared him to an alert mountain lion, fluid in motion, deceptively docile. The skulls and skeletons are out of the closet, and he’s unphased by this. All is revealed — and not revealed. After all, we cannot see his eyes, cannot read his soul. This withholding is an act of defiance and resilience that will continue to inspire us. Thank you for making this happen.
Warmly,
Louis, Snow, Sophia, Sacha, and Sky