OVADA Associates Feature Artist: Dylan Garcia

Associate Q&As with Dylan Garcia

Introduction

Dylan Garcia is a lens based artist living in southern England. He is a member of OVADA Oxford. He has exhibited at Quay Arts on the Isle of Wight (UK), The Grange Rottingdean in Brighton (UK), The Institute of Photography in Falmouth (UK) Hollybrook Gallery and The Reading Biscuit Factory Cultural Hub,  Reading (UK).  He has work in the To The Sea, Exhibit in St Gilles Croix de Vie (France). He also has work in the Healing Nature Exhibition, Artdoc Magazine. 

Dylan has a BA in Graphics (Photography) from Norwich School of Art, MA Photography from Falmouth University and holds ARPS from the Royal Photographic Society.

Dylan Garcia’s practice deals with issues of time, history, mythology and issues of human consciousness and how this relates to the natural world. 

Wild by Dylan Garcia

Climate Change by Dylan Garcia

What are you currently working on?

Brythonic. (winner of 2024 Format/Daylight Award)

The project explores the themes of, myth, history and the natural world, and how they relate to us today. The Brythonic Legends of Cornwall, Wales and Brittany are my starting point. 

Geo-mythology is the study of geological events that turn into legends. Brythonic is a group of celtic languages including Welsh, Cornish and Breton. The Brythonic Legends are The Lost Hundred (Wales) Kêr-Is (Britany) Lyonesse (Cornwall). The Brythonic legends give us a warning of human inaction. This inaction led to whole lands disappearing under the sea. These Legends are a warning from the past. A warning about rising sea levels leading to cultures and civilisations disappearing. We are in a time when climate anxiety is rising. A fear of climate change and a concern about the survival of human species. There have been many other lost lands historically and later in legends. 

As climate change occurs Britain will become more tropical. But as well as being the future this is also a view of the past. So a Future-Past, we may return to the days when lions and hippos roamed the banks of the Thames. As climate change returns to Britain, the plants and land will change. We will become a wetter warmer land. 

The legends of drowned lands are common in many Northern European cultures. They are a historic echo of Doggerland, a submerged land under the North Sea.

Lost Lands by Dylan Garcia

Where do you work? Do you have studio space?

Home / on Location in the Natural World (Forest ,Rivers, Coast, Sea, Mountains)

What are you hoping to achieve over the next year?

I hope to move forward with my practice, intellectually and physically. A key objective is to publish a Book (now in the design stage) I hope to find new ways of thinking and being. Also to have more questions. Become more inspired (by poetry, art, history and science).

Lyonesse by Dylan Garcia

Describe the last time you felt inspired

Every time I am outside, in good (interesting) Weather, Time, Location. Also reading books and poetry. 

How does your OVADA associate membership benefit you?

Good to see what other artists are creating (inspiring). It is also great to be part of a community as art can be isolating and everyone benefits from the work of others, be they painters, poets or filmmakers.

How do you feel the arts benefit society?

I think Art is society (or a function of society). Art is one of the things that make us human (inc other types of extinct humans). Art is also a way of asking questions, a way of communicating, and culturally binding society together. Is there a point of society without Art, or is it even possible? Art also has many benefits for individuals in society (personal expression, group dynamics, status, personal direction, mental health, passion, questioning current social norms, etc). Art can also give hope to the Artist and hopefully other people if one person loves and gets your work then you are in a form of communication. Art can help people in the darkest times.

You can see more of Dylan’s work at:

Website: https://dylangarcia.art

Instagram: @dylangarcialensart

Rising Waters by Dylan Garcia