Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.S Peace
Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College • Providence, RI • ric.edu • October 7–29, 2021
In 2019, Bannister Gallery at Rhode Island College (RIC) commissioned a group of 25 metals artists from around the country to utilize decommissioned firearms in artworks and address the polarizing topic of guns with their own techniques and methodologies. This decentralized approach to the “stance” of the exhibition allows the artists to take on an array of voices, thus opening up expressive and engaging discussions and dialogues. The exhibition Rhode Island I.M.A.G.I.N.E.S (Innovative Merger of Art & Guns to Inspire New Expressions) Peace, curated by Boris Bally, Dianne Reilly, Sara Picard, and Victoria Gao, originally scheduled for fall 2020 instead takes place this October, 2021.
The artists’ control over their artistic direction allows the show to come together as a complex web of beliefs, opinions, and discussions. Stefan Gougherty’s work GAME OVER melds the virtual and pixelated world we have become ever more enmeshed in with the physicality of an actual revolver. A masterfully crafted piece, the crossover brings our attention to issues of violence in digital media; as mentioned by Gougherty, “guns have become emojis—lethal weapons are trivialized, and the real-world consequences of pulling the trigger have become abstracted.”
RIC alumni, Lauren DelBrocco’s Curiosity is a different and remarkable approach offering the viewer the unusual occasion to physically engage with the artwork. On the glossy black box housing the object are the engraved words, “[a]n estimated 4.6 million children live in homes with at least one unlocked and loaded gun and most children know where these guns are kept.” Referring to the work, DelBrocco says “Look through the eye lens, down the gun barrel. | Hold the piece up towards the light. | Slide open the aperture lever. | Spin cylinder. | 1 of the 5 cylinder slots is a bullet.” As one holds the work up to the light staring down the barrel it becomes an elegant kaleidoscope.
Without villainizing, blaming, or polarizing, this curation seeks to collect perspectives and complicate discussions on gun ownership and safety—aiming to spark nuanced conversations around the artwork. There is an opening reception on October 7 followed by a panel discussion that is sure to engage and educate.
—Abbi Kenny