Gardiner Gallery of Art presents ‘Hail,’ an exhibition reflecting on impact of guns
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
The Gardiner Gallery of Art presents “Hail,” an exhibition of recent work by Garrett Hansen from Oct. 5 through Nov. 4. The exhibition, housed in OSU's Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts, comprises several ongoing bodies of work that consider the impact and implications of guns in the United States.
Roughly 40% of US households have a gun and there are enough guns – approximately 300 million – to arm nearly every man, woman, and child in the country. Through the photography of individual bullet holes; the collective speckled remains left in cardboard target backings at shooting ranges; fired and sculpted bullets, and images that highlight the difference in various types of ammunition, Hansen has created a set of images that is haunting, evocative, and abstract.
One body of work featured in “Hail” is Hansen’s Silhouette series which simultaneously considers the personal repercussions and wider influence of guns. Each week, Hansen visits a local gun range to collect the cardboard backings that are used behind standard targets, which are shaped as human torsos. Each shooter is presented with a fresh target, but the cardboard backing remains the same and slowly erodes over the day from the thousands of rounds shot at the unarmed figure. Hansen collects these cardboard backings, brings them into his darkroom, and creates full-sized contact prints which form the basis of the final artwork. The finished piece is a facsimile of the original cardboard backing made of mirrored plexiglass.
As the viewer approaches the piece, they see their own reflection spotted with bullet holes: their own body now a participant and victim in an ever-present but often detached culture. Generated from destructive means, Hansen’s work is a creative undertaking that demands the participation and consideration of the viewer.
Hansen is represented by Catherine Edelman Gallery, Chicago, Illinois. His recent exhibitions include the Copenhagen Photography Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Studio Gallery in Dallas, Texas, Viewpoints Gallery in Sacramento, California, and the Photoville Festival in Brooklyn, New York. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Kinsey Institute.
Additionally, there will be a workshop with Robin Baker at Prairie Arts Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 16, with a rain date of Oct. 23; Reservations are required. There will be a Virtual Artist Talk from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 22.
For more information on this exhibition and related programming, or to subscribe to the museum's email list visit art.okstate.edu/gardiner-gallery or email gardinergallery@okstate.edu.
Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and Saturdays by appointment. The museum is closed on Sundays, university holidays and home football game days.
Exhibitions and programs in the Gardiner Gallery of Art are sponsored by OSU Student Fees, The College of Arts and Sciences, Donors to the Gallery, and the Oklahoma Arts Council. All events are free and open to the public.
MEDIA CONTACT: Cassidy Petrazzi | Gardiner Gallery of Art Department of Art | cassidy.petrazzi@okstate.edu | 405.744-6016