Laritza Garcia, member of SNAG, is a metalsmith and educator living in Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in Jewelry and Metals from Texas State University and her MFA in Metal Design at East Carolina University. Painting, illustration, and involvement with youth outreach have been a meaningful influence in the direction of her jewelry design practice.
« My work seeks to convey my enthrallment with color in the urban landscape and the transiency of street art. Formally I am driven by keen considerations for line, shape, color, and form both on and off the body. While theoretically, I strive to connect the wearer to the ephemeral qualities of childhood play. »
Laritza Garcia « A Blue Brooch » – 2012 – Copper, steel, brass, silver, powder coat 3″ x 2″ x 1.5″
« My design practice is underpinned by the conversion of two dimensional lines into objects of adornment. I use inks and calligraphy brushes to make loose illustrations that are the base from which components are developed.
I implement a vibrant color palate as a graphic trigger in efforts to reconnect with playful attitudes. I believe that playfulness helps people cope; problem-solve and can offer emotional lightness.
The intent of this body of work is to infuse wardrobes with pieces that bring levity to the forefront of everyday interactions. »
Laritza Garcia – Primary necklace copper, steel, steel cable, sterling silver, powder coat, fresh water pearls, garnet, black onyx, 2012 – 16×5.5″ - photo: Tara Locklear
Laritza Garcia - « Urban Scrawl » necklace – 2012 – Copper, Steel, Brass, Sterling Silver, Powder Coat
15″ x 5″ x .5″
Laritza Garcia – Neon Stripe Brooch – 2012 – Copper, steel, brass, powder coat 4”x 2”x 1”
« My roots are embedded in the U.S. and Mexico border region of the Rio Grande Valley. I have also lived in the culturally vibrant cities of Austin Texas, Atlanta Georgia and most recently, Greenville North Carolina, where I currently pursue a Master’s in Fine Arts at East Carolina University. My work is fueled by my experience of color in the urban backdrop. Notable about my jewelry is the highly saturated color palette that permeates my visual vocabulary. Each composition boasts its own personality: vivid, upbeat and with a hint of pop urbanism. I am particularly interested in color’s ability to both reveal and coat aspects of dialogue. My active participation teaching Youth Art-Reach in communities infuses my work with elements of play. I am drawn to rutolos, graffiti, murals, and neon signs that dot the landscape, and am compelled to alter my own surroundings with work that is vivid, bold and exists somewhere between two and three dimensions.«
Laritza Garcia « Rosa Fuschia » necklace – Tinkered series Steel, Copper, Sterling Silver, Powder Coat
Laritza Garcia – Spun Vermillion Brooch - 2012 – Copper, Fine Silver, Steel, Powder Coat 5” x 3” x 1”
« My personal development and professional training have led me to believe that playful attitudes help people cope, problem-solve and can offer emotional lightness. My jewelry pieces present familiar childhood imagery in efforts to drive forth the restorative nature of imaginative behavior. Gestural objects in vibrant colors materialize as graphic triggers that reconnect people with regenerative powers of playfulness. My approach encompasses a dual investigation of gestural drawing and traditional metalworking practices. I use inks and calligraphy brushes to make linear illustrations that are the base from which ideas are developed into refined pieces of adornment. The intent of this body of work is to infuse wardrobes and activate walls with whimsical pieces that bring levity to the forefront.« Laritza Garcia
Laritza Garcia - Carnaval Brooch - 2012 – Copper, Silver, Brass, Steel, Powder Coat 3.5” x 4” x 2”
Laritza Garcia - Spun necklace – 2013