Anatomy of Conflict

I don’t usually take a conceptual approach to making art, but when using an assault rifle as a “found object” it is difficult to avoid.

From a mechanical perspective, I’m fascinated by guns, from a moral perspective, I’m conflicted about them. However you feel about them, they’re a divisive issue worth discussing. Although very little material was added to the original rifle, the process of cutting and reassembling its various pieces required quite a lot of time and technique. The color scheme was chosen to mimic educational anatomy models found in schools and doctors offices.

Every element was found — scrap yards, second-hand stores, dumpsters — then cleaned, stripped, sorted and rebuilt. Found aluminum is TIG-welded and sanded seamless; nothing is cast. The electronics are salvaged from consumer devices, repaired and rewired so the piece does something when you touch it.