Conceptual artist Michael Murphy recently created a controversial installation called Gun Country, which creates a map of the contiguous United States consisting of 150 toy guns. The plastic guns used in this installation are actually suspended in the air by clear fibers, making the map only visible from the front.
Murphy told Modern Met that he is neither for nor against the current gun policy in the USA. The work simply aims to raise discussions and stimulate conversations about this topic: “Every viewer that I have discussed the piece with has seemed inclined to tell me their stance on guns. Through this conversation that the piece inspires, it is my hope that people will think more critically about their stance on guns and gun related issues.”
This installation was created for the annual ArtPrize open art competition and can be found on the terrace of the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in West Michigan.
