Tropical Dissent (Weapon Series)
2022 - ongoing
3D printed polylactic filament
Dimensions Variable
Tropical Dissent is an ongoing series of 3D-printed simulated weapons that exist in the slippery realm between fantasy and reality. These objects are inspired by armaments from the Philippine Islands traditionally used in warfare, agriculture, and ritual, as well as improvised weapons composed from everyday objects and defense mechanisms in our natural environment. As a series, these weapon renderings engage in a speculative narrative of retaliation - one where non-hegemonic people might actually have the right to resist.
Tropical Dissent (sketches), 2022 - ongoing, pencil on canvas paper, 11 x 14 inches
This series cites a practice of DIY weaponry from Guerrilleras (women resistance fighters), such as paltiks - homemade firearms fashioned from scrap metal and iron, gas pipes, gunpowder and nails, improvised by resistance fighters from whatever they could scavenge.
This body of work was created during Garcia’s Session Program at Recess, I Woke Up & Chose Violence (2022). They began as a series of sketches, which Garcia then fabricated into 3D printed objects. This project was informed by one-on-one/small group workshops that she has facilitated, where participants design their own personalized, handheld weapon based on a somatic exercise.
Exhibition History: Montclair State University Galleries (2023); Recess (2022)