John Sheridan
A visionary art of protest.
Violence in a wealthy country makes no sense — unless the society is at war with itself. So many gun killings in the United States brought about such a state of mind that some creative corner of my mind, unasked, sent a vision to me in 2018 that dumbstruck me for a moment. The vision, clear as day was simply of a Rifle — Made out of Bones.
The clarity and power of this simple, virtually conceptual but deeply felt image made me stop and consider it very seriously. I decided to take this vision and rather than give in to despair at our domestic carnage I would recreate it — as a sculpture. This led me to begin to think in an entirely new direction, taking my work into the realm of sculpture that would condense my feelings into images that spoke to causes and results. Especially the cause of the proliferation of Guns with its resulting Deaths. Together these metaphors play upon each other and their morphing interpenetrations are leading me to a new place of creative significance which I have followed since and intend to continue.
Ideas for these works come in flashes and are quickly sketched just in ballpoint pen in notebooks to keep the memory. Then I accumulate the materials necessary, bones, small accurate models of guns, skulls, common but loaded objects, action figures that represent our violent culture — and I condense them into metaphors that because of how I arrange their proximity or shape or subject, reflect upon each other inescapably.
We've coldly commodified almost every human action, desire, gesture, emotion, fear and hope. And we are seeing the results of it: mass shootings almost every day, endless wars, surging homelessness and the inability for all but a few people to improve their lives. Those are are barely maintaining their existence, often working 2 or 3 jobs, have a temporary stability — but while standing at the edge of a cliff. One small illness, or job loss and they know they are liable to go over. And it's a long way down.
No wonder people snap and grab the most powerful yet stupid technology they can find to wreak the most revenge and havoc they can: Guns. We have to stop this.
For more information about the artist, please visit his website.