In Atlanta artist Donna Garcia's lens-based work, subject and object become one

Titles for artwork in the image- Left to Right: Muscogee, Witness Trees, Waiting, Ghost Dancer, The Trickster, What They See, Chemistry. (Courtesy of Donna Garcia)

On the “City Lights” series “Speaking of Art,” local artists share insights into their influences, processes, and experiences in town. This edition features Donna Garcia, a lens-based artist working with photography, video, and mixed media.

Garcia’s abstract work crosses the threshold where the subject and object become one, with a style heavily influenced by new-age cinema from the 1950s and 60s and German expressionist cinema from the 1920s. “Photography helps me to navigate everyday life,” says Garcia. “It helps me to see and express myself. I’m a very introverted person, so it provides a way for me to see and communicate.”  

Garcia attended SCAD for her MFA in photography and attributes the great support system here for artists as the reason why she stayed.