Battle Ready
George Rodriguez addresses sensitive sociopolitical issues through his highly ornamented figurative ceramic sculptures with a tongue in cheek ease that is evident in the sense of warmth his works convey. Themes of culture and identity recur throughout his sculpture, celebrating the unique attributes of diverse cultures as well as the similarities that unite us all. Rodriguez’s ceramic sculptures eloquently communicate the emotions they embody, figures spanning a wide range of forms and personalities. Aspects of certain forms echo elements of African, Italian, and South American ceramic traditions, yet the resulting pieces are dynamically modern.
"Battle Ready" portrays a uniformed soldier with oversized head in the act of saluting. The transgender flag appears on the left shoulder, with bars of pink, white and blue (different from the rainbow LGBTQ flag), while the American flag appears on the right shoulder. The soldier's hair is tied up in a bun or knot in the back, below the military style hat.
