Pablo Garcia interviewed by Willie Jackson
Willie Jackson (00:01): Hello. My name is Willie Jackson. I'm at Shawangunk Correctional Facility, and we're holding this interview. Hey, uh, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Pablo Garcia (00:15): Well, foremost, my name is Pablo Garcia, and, um, uh, that's quite the open-ended question. You hit me with a big one, right off the rib, so I'm gonna just say, I've been drawing and I've been into the arts since I was about three, four-years-old. Started with, uh, being inspired by Ninja Turtles, and, uh, I didn't know it was a big deal until, um, pre-kindergarten when the class was given an assignment. We had to each draw a page from a book called Mrs. Wishy-Washy. For some reason I was randomly given the cover.
Willie Jackson (00:55): Mm.
Pablo Garcia (00:56): After all the students was done with their artwork, the teachers made a big deal. They called my mother in who was in the PTA into the classroom, and they noticed that my artwork at about four-years-old was amazing. It wasn't the average art that you see as opposed to all the other kids where it was like a lot of doodles. It was almost, like, very similar to the cover.
Willie Jackson (01:22): Oh, wow, you answered my question, 'cause my other question (laughs) was, have you ever saw yourself as a artist growing up? So, you just answered my question.
Pablo Garcia (01:30): No, actually, actually, I didn't answer your question 'cause even to this day I don't consider myself a artist. I've been drawing all my life. My family really pushed that in me when they saw the potential, and it was something that I can honestly say I'd taken for granted because I still to this day don't see myself as an artist. I went to art school. I majored in- in high school as a fashion art major, and I still didn't... I still, to this day, don't see myself as an artist, to be honest.
Willie Jackson (02:00): Okay. So, my next question is, why did you enroll into this art program?
Pablo Garcia (02:07): Well, it's- it's-
Willie Jackson (02:10): This specific art program.
Pablo Garcia (02:11): ... it's actually the coincidence when this art program came about, and- and I'll have to... I- I'm- I'ma have to tell the story, so you can sit back with your mic. Um, earlier this year wa-... Towards the end of last year going to early this year, my loved ones and my team and my supporters have been trying to encourage me to get back to the art. I haven't drawn or worked on any art projects in about four years, give or take. And they have been encouraging me because they wanted to do an exhibit in my name, out there, and get, and get some notoriety and have it seen and what have you.
(02:45):
So, um, I started buying some art supplies earlier this year, around February, and then I still didn't have the motivation because, see, this- this- this place kinda puts that depression on you where you get like a artist block. So what happened was, one day I was passing by the office and I seen... And one of the guys stopped me and he was promoting, uh, for me to sign up for, like, a basketball team. And I'm like, "No, I don't- I'm not into sports," and I kept on moving, bu- but right before I spun around and left the office, I seen a paper that was a sign-up for art class.
(03:19):
And I said, "What's this?" He's like, "Oh, nobody sign up for that. I don't know what that is." So, I'm like, "Why you're not promoting this?" So I took the flyer and I started promoting it to other others in my- in my dorm area, and word- word- word got around and I got a handful of guys to sign up. And, and I've been on since. And this actually helped motivate me to work on the personal projects that I have to do for myself, for my peoples and my loved ones and for myself, that I got going on out there.
(03:48):
And it's been lighting the fire ever since, and it's kinda of, it's happened that creative potential that I thought I lost, and I'm very, very much appreciative of it because it just... I- I consider this fate, because ri- right when I wanted to get back into the art, I still wasn't motivated enough-
Willie Jackson (04:06): Okay.
Pablo Garcia (04:06): ... until this program came about, and, um, it started really opening up all of the stuff that I have inside.
Willie Jackson (04:13): So, what, what can this program do to draw more people like you that have that, that want, that drive, to wanna better theyself in art, better theyself in communication and art with other people. Do we have to... Do you think we have to place more flyers out? How do we, how do you feel we should get ourself known?
Pablo Garcia (04:39): Well, that's, that's a good question because, um, for the most part, since my incarceration, I- I noticed that a lot of people in this environment is more into, like, physical things, hence why that kid that was promoting the, um, basketball team, he didn't promote the art stuff. So, it's well known that sports or anything that's working out or what ha- have you is more popular. So, is- i- i- is kind of a reflection of like high school where you got the jocks-
Willie Jackson (05:11): So, let me ask you this. So- sorry to-
Pablo Garcia (05:11): ... and the nerds and what have you.
Willie Jackson (05:13): ... interrupt you. Sorry to interrupt you. Do you feel that people feel that art is soft? Do you feel that they... 'Cause they, they gravitate, you said, physical. So they gravitated more towards basketball, football, whatever the-
Pablo Garcia (05:25): No. I don't, I don't think it's a soft thing. I think it's a matter of- of- of, um, people who are... Don't know about their own creative potential.
Willie Jackson (05:36): Unaware.
Pablo Garcia (05:37): There's people that's like, "I wanna learn how to draw," but they never get around to it. And, um, it... But it's much bo- more beyond art. And what I'm trying to explain... Even, I- I wrote a letter and I've even stopped the administration, the deputies in this- in this facility, and let them know how important this is because-
Willie Jackson (05:54): Yes.
Pablo Garcia (05:55): ... is an, is an outlet. It's an emotional outlet. Like-
Willie Jackson (05:57): Yes.
Pablo Garcia (05:57): ... you think about when you see, uh, uh, victims, o- or like children or what have you, the first thing the detective or psychologist do is give 'em a paper and some crayons and, like, leave them to themselves-
Willie Jackson (06:10): Wow. (laughs)
Pablo Garcia (06:10): ... because when they don't commu- when victims don't communicate verbally, they communicate by drawings. Like, if you see something, for example, a child drawing a bunch of red-
Willie Jackson (06:19): Yes.
Pablo Garcia (06:19): ... there's some kind of anger or pain that correlates with that, that they're not able to express out loud. So, it goes to us, even as in adults, like, a lot of people don't wanna tap into what's inside of them-
Willie Jackson (06:31): Yes.
Pablo Garcia (06:31): ... and maybe some people do, and this is the- one of the best ways, is either through poetry or through art. Uh, any creative outlet is gonna be a way to express ourselves and kind of release that pain that we got, or- or emotional, uh, hardships that we got going on inside that we can't otherwise release anywhere else.
Willie Jackson (06:49): So far, has, uh, your experience in this class, um, compared with anything, anything from the outside? Has it... I mean, are you getting something? Are you really getting something out of it? Are you really relaxed when you leave this class? I mean, how do you feel?
Pablo Garcia (07:08): Well, relaxed, I- I'm- I am not relaxed. I'm anxious, but-
Willie Jackson (07:11): (laughs)
Pablo Garcia (07:12): ... anxious in a very good way, because, um, like I, like I mentioned, like, I've been needing to tap back into my creative, um, artistic side for a while, and this is that motivator, this is what's igniting me to do so. So, it's beyond just this workshop for me. It's very personal. Um, some guys, it's just working on projects and that's very...
(07:34):
But me, it's, it's me... It's my way of expressing myself because there's so much that I have harbored in and I've almost become callous. So this is my way of speaking, because I'm very antisocial, and I'm very to myself. So this is my way of speaking, and not just expressing myself, but also telling my story through my art.
Willie Jackson (07:54): Okay. So, you feel that this class is opening you up to break that barrier down and become more social than antisocial.
Pablo Garcia (08:04): Well, it's not making me social, to be honest, but I- I do admit, like, when s- somebody seen... A couple of guys seen my zine, for example, that'll open a door to, like, get guys to be like, "Wow."
Willie Jackson (08:17): That was very nice, by the way.
Pablo Garcia (08:18): They, like, "Wow." They was like amazed. They, they... Some got emotional. Some guys was like, "Yo, I didn't even know that..." if you know what I mean? So, it helps sell my story when... Uh, my art is my way of speaking. It's like, if I'm a hearing-impaired person or, uh, I'm a mute and this is my way of expressing myself. So, my art is speaking for me, but I'm still gonna keep to my antisocial ways, to be honest.
Willie Jackson (08:42): (laughs) I- I guess we could say, you're honest. That's one thing, you're honest, um. Well, my- my- my plan is to try to get more people to participate in this class because I know there's a lot of artists is out there, there's a lot of people that feel the same way you feel. And we have to do something, and it- it- I guess it starts with us. We have to do something.
Pablo Garcia (09:08): I- I- I guess, you know, maybe with the peop-... After a while, after the administration gets a little bit comfortable and know that there's no, like, risk here, that this is actually one of the best programs that they can introduce to the facility, maybe they'll start being a little bit more open and then we can have exhibits, and, and show people how, how great this program is to... by means of exhibits.
(09:35):
And the exclusivity, it'll become inclusive of everyone and it won't be exclusive any more, and people will be able to be a little more vulnerable, and is- wanna, maybe, express themselves, or, or just come for one or two sessions. That's how some guys do, come for one or two sessions. They go, "Oh." I've been here since day one and is- it's been good for me so far, at least. It's... They're very, very therapeutic. That's...
Willie Jackson (09:59): Therapeutic. That's good.
Pablo Garcia (09:59): ... i- uh, in one word, therapeutic.
Willie Jackson (10:03): Therapeutic. That's great. Well, I'ma leave you with this last question. Um, how do you plan on passing on what you have learned here to your family?
Pablo Garcia (10:22): Well, I'm already in communications with them about that. I've made copies of, for instance, my zine and I'm, actually, has the intention of promoting it and making more zines outside of the workshop. This- this made me, uh, work on more zines for the poetry that I've created over the years, which helps express myself and tell my story.
(10:44):
And, um, any artwork that I- I'm just, I keep asking very- pretty much the instructors of the program if there's no more an exhibit, if, if they don't have an exhibit, whether they do have an exhibit or not, I will like to keep the artwork afterwards and send it home to my loved ones. So, 'cause they definitely want to see what's going on as well.
Willie Jackson (11:05): Okay. That is good. That's great, Pablo. Um, I think that, uh, that pretty much wraps it up here. Uh, this program is great and I just, I just hope that it continues, it... Please, hope this conti- this, uh, program continues and don't stop because-
Pablo Garcia (11:24): And I'd like to piggyback off that, thank you very much. Have a good night. I appreciate you. Come back around.