Gold Plated Designer Weapons?
May 14, 2008
Peter Gronquist is this month’s featured artist…
Have you ever seen a gold plated chainsaw or machine gun before? How about a Louis Vuitton sawed-off shotgun or electric chair?
Gallery 1988 (Los Angeles) recently showcased some of Peter Gronquist’s unique art.
At first I scoffed at these “designer weapons,” but then I realized how poignant these pieces really are…
The Revolution Will Be Fabulous
A “Weapons of Mass Designer” show
1. Chanel RPG
2. Prada rifle
3. Fendi chainsaw
4. Louis Vuitton sawed-off shotgun
5. Versace machine gun
6. Louis Vuitton electric chair
7. Darth Vader grenade
8. Jesus cross rifle
While I consider people who spend $261,000 on designer handbags to be quite ridiculous, I believe that killing people for oil is even more obscene. These designer weapons beg the question: is there that much of a difference between the two?
Cash Rules Everything Around Me, C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money, dollar dollar bill y’all
The Darth Vader grenades (Darth ‘Nader) crack me up, but my favorite pieces are the Fendi chainsaw and the Jesus rifle.
Deforestation is an issue that shouldn’t be ignored, as our tropical forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Much of what remains is in the Amazon rain forest, but 20% of the land there has been destroyed over the past 40 years alone, and another 20% will be lost over the next 20 years. Here is a great National Geographic article on deforestation in the Amazon. However, I just found this Greenpeace “Golden Chainsaw” article from 2005, which makes me question Gronquist’s originality.
Original or not, choosing to use a depiction of Jesus on the cross in conjunction with a rifle is a bold move. However, I believe that organized religion (just like capitalism) can be very evil & dangerous, so I like it. Religious violence happens every day all around the world, so the Jesus cross rifle (which sold for $3 K) is quite symbolic indeed. Hidden bonus video! The lovely Erica Campbell firing weapons: http://rapidshare.com/files/105412011/actiongirls.com-ericacampbell-firepower.rar.html
I drove by a couple days ago and saw one of the LV weapons in the window. Shit was dope. Thats a cool gallery.
There’s no need to question his originality; it’s already been done by Baz Luhrmann. Remember the “Romeo & Juliet” with DiCaprio? The gunswere garishly ornate and most were decorated with religious imagery (Tybalt’s handgun displayed a relief of the Virgin Mary in an ivory-coated handle).
So, yeah, I see nothing original.
I think the “Iron Giant” is a more intriguing take of the same concept: a gun with a conscience. That’s still the Vin’s best movie.
Trendy gats! It’s looks like Puffy would sport one of these guns!