2016 was sadly yet another year of increased gun violence in the United States.
In the wake of the shootings of Philando Castle and Alton Sterling at the hands of police, the second amendment and police brutality were once again called into question.
During his administration, Barack Obama was determined to tighten these gun laws – especially following the Sandy Hook shooting, which saw 20 elementary children killed.
But blocked by gun lobbyists and the NRA, he struggled to make any real difference.
In the wake of Trump’s inauguration, we doubt this will change – as the second amendment is something he vowed to protect throughout the entirety of his campaign.
To confront this ever-growing issue of gun violence, artist and sculptor Michael Murphy has created an incredibly striking art installation titled ‘Identity Crisis’.
Murphy gained fame after creating an art installation about Barack Obama in 2008, after his victory in the U.S. Presidential elections.
In his latest piece, Michael has suspended a cluster of automatic weapons from the ceiling.
The collective shape looks like a massive handgun from one perspective:
But from another angle, the hanging mobile takes the form of a map of the U.S:
Murphy describes the work as a critical statement about violence currently going on in the United States of America, with the take home message being that ‘violence isn’t the answer’.
Signage above the piece reads, “Every day, an average 112 people are killed or injured by gun violence in America.”
A startling figure indeed.
