This artwork is about honoring people who refuse to participate in socially sanctioned violence. When tasked with the order of violently putting down a peaceful protest with automatic weapons and heavy artillery in Tiananmen Square on June 4th, 1989, 300 out of two hundred thousand troops abandoned their posts or refused to participate. Since then, their fates are unknown. In the act of refusing to kill innocent civilians, these missing troops should be remembered for their non-compliance with violent actions.

By appropriating classic plastic toy soldiers, I was able to create an ironic difference between the expectation of an obedient soldier and the boldness of the soldiers who refused to hurt innocent protestors. I used a consistent white color as well as elements of texture to convey a form of unity among the pile of soldiers that communicates the emotions with standing up for one’s belief’s: solidarity, honor, and bravery. The color white was also used in order to associate with themes of innocence and death. Furthermore, I melted the plastic toys to parallel the soldiers’ disappearance for their actions.