Invisible Curator: Fragile Weapons

by Robert Boyd


James Drake, glass axes

I was out checking out galleries Saturday and saw these two glass axes by James Drake at Moody Gallery. They are resting in a bed of bubble wrap.


Charles Krafft, AK47 Rifle, slip cast hand-painted porcelain


Charles Krafft, Mossberg Shotgun, slip cast hand-painted porcelain

Then over P.G. Contemporary were these porcelain weapons (among many others) by Seattle artist Charles Krafft. It was interesting to see all these very fragile representations of objects that are potentially very dangerous in real life. Such a representation is inherently ironic and a typical post-modern strategy (making large sculptures of small things, making soft sculptures of hard things, etc.).  Drake and Krafft are very different artists, but both of them deal with violence in their work. Another artist who deals with similar subjects in related ways is Camp Bosworth. Curators, feel free to build on this idea--free of charge.