Guns are integral to the history of America and are part of our founding myths, from the landing of the armed Pilgrims, to the Revolutionary War, to the winning of the West. They figure largely in popular culture; movies, television shows, video and computer games are filled with shootouts between opponents. For those on each side and those who sit ambiguously in the middle, the gun is a symbol of the violence that we have come to accept as characteristic of American life. The artists in this exhibition are well aware of the power of the gun as an image and a symbol. Each use the image as a starting point for a critique of contemporary American culture. |
