04. Social/Polictial Hands

Artist Statement:

For this piece, we had to think up a social/political topic that we felt strongly about and display either our agreement or disagreement with that topic in the form of gestural expression (hands). Deciding to focus on gun control and gun violence I decided to express my disdain that we don't have stricter gun laws in this country. Making a plaster cast of my two hands, I began to build up my sculpture around these two symbols. Painting them realistic and highlighting the message with bumps of plaster painted red (symbolizing blood), I collaged the background of the mantel that my hands would be attached to with clippings of mass shootings across the USA. Using color, form, texture, and contrast with my monochrome background and red blood, I feel as though I was able to truly express my opinion of this topic. Going from my first sketch, this piece relatively stayed the same. The hands overall staying the same, the only thing that really changed in this piece was the background. Bouncing off ideas in the beginning I was actually going to go with a solid color background, but after consulting with myself, I felt as though the newspaper clippings would be able to portray a deeper message. Though I’ve never personally been affected by the gun violence and the deviation that it brings, my does go out to those who have. If were given an option, an option that could potentially prevent and stop hundreds of deaths, why aren't we pushing for it? Men, women, and children, these are the victims of gun violence; these are your family members, friends, and neighbors. The fact that gun laws are still being discussed and decided on in the government I find appalling, I find it appalling that even though the death toll rises lawmakers seem to be in an entirely different universe.

If I were to revise in the future, I would probably try to add something else to the hands. Overall I like how the background and the hands turned out, but there just seems to be something missing. Drafting up new ideas, I would try to figure out what I could place in the hands; something that fits with the overall layout but also continues to push and heighten my message.