Dallas "Gun and Knife Show" name stolen in name of art.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/04/28 ... nt-be.html

The above link is to the Fort Worth Startle-gram.

Originally I had seen the reference to this in the 5/15/11 Dallas Morning Snooze, in a column written by
Michael Granberry, the Arts columnist, but I couldn't quickly find the link to HIS article.

Heyd Fontenot is the artist behind the "Gun and Knife Show", which is an art exhibit running from 4/30/11-6/4/11 at
CentralTrak, 800 Exposition Avenue, Dallas.

"With the installation, Heyd wanted to emulate a gun trade show". The artist hoped to "reach a different
audience than a typical art audience. He was excited by the possibility that someone would think we were an
actual gun show and not realize they were in an art environment. And we have, in fact, had visitors expecting
to see a gun show."

http://www.utdallas.edu/centraltrak/ This link shows a psychedelic-colored handgun (Sig? 1911?).

I feel that, although this might be kind of artsy with regard to portraying guns, I'm pretty sure that this will be an
"anti"-themed presentation of gun culture, since it's mentioned that they hope "thoughtful legislation" will be a desired
outcome.

SIA

[DoubleJ]

I'd expect to see something like this up here in the tree-huggin' mecca, Seattle...

[UpTheIrons]

I'd expect to see something like this up here in the tree-huggin' mecca, Seattle...

Aw, c'mon. There are enough 'transplants' in Dallas by now that they want to try and make a run at being the most liberal and 'thoughtful' and 'caring' city in the state.

[i8godzilla]

Maybe the opening paragraph from the event description will let you know their political leaning......

http://www.utdallas.edu/centraltrak/calendar.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

On January 27, 2011, less than three weeks after the January 9th mass shooting of nineteen people in Tucson, Arizona, which included Arizona U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the Utah State Senate and House of Representatives voted on a measure that declared the .45-caliber handgun the official state firearm. Even an event as significant and frightening as this one could not dissuade those under the fetishistic spell of weaponry from conducting a homage to their object of desire and devotion.

[Hoi Polloi]

Perhaps accounting for the prevalence and frequency of such imagery, they almost certainly have a relationship to the erotic, and thereby introducing an appropriate and complex dichotomy of attraction and repulsion.
...
Gun & Knife Show is most interested in representing the idea of weapon as fetish object and how guns and knives elicit an empathetic visceral reaction tied to vulnerability, danger and defense.

That "art" show sounds like it is rated R and like the artists have issues that would have been of great interest to Freud.

And are they saying they are wanting to evoke erotic feelings from the viewer? That objective means it is no longer art and becomes something bin Laden kept in his turban drawer (to avoid a word that would trigger filters).

[surprise_i'm_armed]

"...could not dissuade those under the fetishistic spell of weaponry from conducting a (sic) homage to their object of desire and devotion."

Gee - they say that like it's a bad thing. :-) :-)

SIA

[rexinthecity]

Those living in Texas or most rural communities within the U.S. will be familiar with tradeshows that provide weaponry as well as a variety of violence-based ephemera. The population that attend such gatherings are generally in a very different demographic than those that attend cultural events. Each group lives in a respective "bubble", not aware or informed of the others' activities. Guns, knives and their kin seem like barbaric tools somewhat out-of-step with our contemporary high-tech existence, yet they still exist and play an astoundingly assertive and potent role in our material and socio-economic culture.

Now I did just wake up from a nap (yay summer!)... but this entire paragraph annoys the heck out of me.

I feel the need to attend and discuss the different models of firearms and knives.

[mgood]

Those living in Texas or most rural communities within the U.S. will be familiar with tradeshows that provide weaponry as well as a variety of violence-based ephemera. The population that attend such gatherings are generally in a very different demographic than those that attend cultural events. Each group lives in a respective "bubble", not aware or informed of the others' activities. Guns, knives and their kin seem like barbaric tools somewhat out-of-step with our contemporary high-tech existence, yet they still exist and play an astoundingly assertive and potent role in our material and socio-economic culture.

Now I did just wake up from a nap (yay summer!)... but this entire paragraph annoys the heck out of me.

I feel the need to attend and discuss the different models of firearms and knives.

I thought a gun show was a "cultural event."

[Hoi Polloi]

Those living in Texas or most rural communities within the U.S. will be familiar with tradeshows that provide weaponry as well as a variety of violence-based ephemera. The population that attend such gatherings are generally in a very different demographic than those that attend cultural events. Each group lives in a respective "bubble", not aware or informed of the others' activities. Guns, knives and their kin seem like barbaric tools somewhat out-of-step with our contemporary high-tech existence, yet they still exist and play an astoundingly assertive and potent role in our material and socio-economic culture.

Now I did just wake up from a nap (yay summer!)... but this entire paragraph annoys the heck out of me.

I feel the need to attend and discuss the different models of firearms and knives.

Translation:

Gun and knife owners are cultureless barbarians who still manage to exist in our contemporary culture, purposefully evading all interaction with enlightenment by moving to uninhabited areas where they can be outside the eye and focus of the rest of society in order to continue their twisted violence. Cultured and high tech people don't realize the violence that the weapon-bearing barbarians are promoting outside their art and music circles or how this affects our economy. This art exhibit brings that erotic violence into the enlightened circle to inform them of the presence of the barbarians they are otherwise not going to interact with so that the enlightened will seek legislative action against the barbarians after becoming fully aware of the violent sexuality the barbarians promote.

I'm going to go start a thread with a poll. If you're a musician, artist, dancer, techie, urbanite, college student/graduate, you attend cultural activities like plays or museums, your kids are in dance or band, or in any other way you are not a barbarian, please go here and vote in my poll.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Hoi Polloi wrote "...moving to uninhabited areas...:

It reminds me of our old pal George Carlin:

"One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like."

SIA

[cowboymd]

Hmmmm? Wonder if it's posted 30.06?

[JJVP]

"The curators, Heyd Fontenot and Julie Webb, are hopeful that this exhibition, which opens Saturday, will lead to civil discourse and thoughtful legislation."


Code words for "they hope guns are banned"

[Hoi Polloi]

"Dr. Clara Thompson, a psychiatrist, argued in [print] that anti-gun people are really subconsciously afraid of their own aggressive impulses. That means they are neurotic and could benefit from therapy." See Paladin's thread "Sloth": One of the "Seven Deadly Sins" for more.

Seems like a fitting quote given the curator's stance on weapons being associated with repressed sexual aggression.