1977

ceramic with acrylic

22 X 15.5 X 14 inches

George Rodriguez with Eric J. Garcia

Even before I got started illustrating on the sculpture, George and I talked about what other three-dimensional elements/details we could add to this iguana. I wanted the crest on the top of the iguana to be flattened to give me “canvas” to illustrate on. George had also suggested that we play with the waddle underneath the iguana, so I had him make the shape of the U.S./Mexican border to depict geographically where I am from. The concept remained, that this “zodiac” sign would depict who I am.

Not only does the iguana show where I am from, it illustrates who I am personally and the kind of artwork I create. I depict my bloody conquistador ancestry, my militant Chicano struggle for justice, and the different weapons I use to fight in this struggle. I am the conqueror and the conquered. I am the colonizer and the colonized. I am a mestizo, a mixture of tragic complex history and multiple cultures rolled up into one.

— Eric J. Garcia