Woman’s Tears Machine Gun by Ken Rinaldo 2013
1) Immediate Response
This piece caught my eye when scrolling through my artist’s website as it is very unusual. There is a large M4 assault rifle with a drum mag but a limp barrel, making it less intimidating and practically useless. The rifle is also all pink, which links with the woman’s face on the screen and makes the gun appear less threatening. The woman on the screen is clearly sad and close to the verge of tears. Below the screen is pink bullets clear in the middle where the gunpowder would be. Some bullets are inside a box, while others are on the table. It potentially looks like the trigger is connected to the screen or bullets, but I’m not initially sure.
2) Objective Description
The piece consists of an actual machine gun propped above a tv screen. The gun may be the safest on the planet as all it can do, is cry. The gun is painted pink, and the barrel is bent to point toward the floor. Right below the gun is a tv screen on a clear table about 3-4ft off the ground, and the screen is playing a looping video of a crying woman for the viewers. On the table are also clear pink gun bullets so you can see the tears within them. On the ends, there are single bullets encased in an acrylic box. Once the trigger is pulled, tears will drip out into the bucket below.
3) Technical Decisions
The Artist made a couple of technical decisions that enhanced the work of art. First, I enjoyed how the artist shaped the barrel because that is something you never see in a functioning gun. The artist also added an element of interactiveness, which builds an extra layer of meaning and connection to the work. The choice to make the bullets and gun pink contrasts with the idea of war to show the impact of gun violence in a conflict. I also think it was an exciting decision to use a black-and-white video of the women to emphasize the cold nature of war and amount of loved ones we lose to war.
4) The Work in the World
Like my last project studied by Ken, the artwork is very anti-war, and the project also clearly deflates the desire for violence. Guns have become a central argument in today’s political agenda, and many people have strong opinions. Whether it’s for self-protection, war, or crime, guns have an immense amount of power for destruction. What you dont see is the emotional damage it leaves on the people affected. Many soldiers are left with crippling PTSD, and parents have to grieve the loss of their children. Every day, gun violence threatens the security and safety of our communities and makes for hostile environments to grow up in.
5) The Story it Tells
This project tells an incredible story about gun violence and its effects on others. The gun shoots tears, which is such a strong message as it brings a connection between an object that represents violence, sadness, and grief. This is a great way to get attention to the horrors of gun violence in our communities. The fact that it’s women crying also brings a sense of innocence and deflates the desire for violence. “A woman’s tears contain chemical substances, and when a man sniffs these tears, they diminish testosterone by 13%”. In this case, the gun is trying to reduce violence and aggression. When Tears are brought about by emotion, they have a different chemical makeup than those for lubrication or cleaning. Ken wants society to recognize this connection and create solutions without anger and aggression.