Taking Aim: Art That Addresses Gun Violence
Cease. V.L. Cox
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”
If Albert Einstein were alive today, he would undoubtedly address gun control with his well-known quote. Over and over and over again. Shooting after shooting, we are still doing the same goddamn thing. Which is essentially nothing. As I write this, in early March of 2023, the United States surpassed 100 mass shootings this year.
According to Mark S. Kaplan, a professor of social welfare at UCLA, speaking to CNN, “Although fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries are growing, no real legislative response has followed acts of gun violence in support of individuals or the communities in which they live. And there is scant proof that prevention measures, such as active shooter drills, have reduced actual harm.” Nothing is f&!#ing changing; it is simply maddening.
Photo credit: CNN. A makeshift memorial outside the scene of a deadly mass shooting at a ballroom dance studio on January 23, 2023, in Monterey Park, California.
I can’t help but wonder if Marjorie Taylor Greene’s daughter or the grandchildren of Samuel Alito were gunned down with an AR-15 assault rifle if something would change. Or if Ted Cruz, the lobbyist-loving gun supporter who has thus far received upward of $400k in “hush” money from gun rights groups, had to look down the barrel of a semi-automatic weapon, if his views would shift.
detail photograph of artwork by Moses Nornberg
This month we are featuring seven artists who use art to address gun violence. Moses Nornberg addresses the perception that “everyone in America has a gun” held by others in other countries. Jeff Corwin used photography and painting to examine America’s obsession with guns after finding three vintage handguns in his father’s attic after his passing.
With harsh lighting, and loud, tweaked, and saturated colors, the artist created the series Guns in America. The artist Mimi Smith uses her work to examine social and personal issues that affect our lives, which include gun violence.
Additional pieces from the Three Dot Collection, which will be housed at Bader + Simon’s physical space, are included in addition to work by V.L. Cox and from Sara Vance Waddell’s collection. Brian Singer will be featured on our podcast in early April. He will discuss his series Assassinations, including Mahatma Gandhi – featured in the exhibit. These are but a few examples. Yet, many artists do incredible work highlighting and addressing the maddening subject matter.
Mahatma Gandhi. Brian Singer.
From the book American Origami by Andres Gonzalez.
In addition to art, many organizations are working to make a difference. These are featured in the resources section of our homepage. You will hear from Kyleigh Jordan, who organized March For Our Lives events in Ohio, on a future podcast episode next week. As well as Manny Oliver. Manny is the force behind Change the Ref and the father of Joaquin Oliver, who was senselessly taken from this earth far too soon at 17 years old by a mentally unstable madman with access to a lethal weapon.
The online exhibit will run through April 14th. Please take a moment to consider the incredible and thought-provoking work that these artists are creating. Several resources at the bottom of our homepage provide information on how you can help change laws and support organizations that keep our children and our public safe. Lastly, please enjoy American Origami, a play by Jimmy Maize and Andres Gonzalez that addresses the collective grief that surfaces after mass shootings.
“We have the ability to engage the next generations to get involved, fight for their values and beliefs, and have their voices be heard.”