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The Irony of Hello Kitty and Artillery

by Mesa Arts Center | May 5, 2015

When I first saw some of the artwork in Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum for ARTillery, it made me think of what the character Michel Scott of The Office said about guns; “What is the most exciting thing can happen on TV, in the movies or in real life? Somebody has a gun!” To me, that is (ironically) a true statement. A gun can be used for good and for bad. So, in certain situations it is both exciting and nerve racking to see someone with a gun because you have no idea what could happen. I felt those same feelings when I saw this art. There is such a range of content in the work, from pictures of kids holding guns to a Hello Kitty AK-47. It made me want to know what the artist was trying to say about guns and weapons, in general.

With recent events around the world, I find this exhibition somewhat similar to dark comedy. The works are beautiful, but there is also irony in that weapons can cause so much hurt and destruction and yet here they are portrayed in beautiful paintings, ceramic sculptures and more. Art truly is an expression of self and views on life and in these pictures some of the artist views speak loudly. One of the pieces that stood out to me the most was an image of an AK-47 that was pink and purple with the Hello Kitty Logo. It made me think about the different views people can have on the same object. To some people it may be funny; to other people it may be desirable because they love the Hello Kitty Logo. It could also be a gut check to see that sometimes the way we glamorize weapons can turn into a tragic interpretation by a younger and more impressionable generation.

This exhibition is most definitely thought provoking. You get to see weapons from different artists’ points of view and think about your own perceptions of those same objects. This exhibition really made me want to sit down with some of the artists and talk to them to see if their art is a reflection of their view on society or if it is a reflection of events in their life past or present. In my opinion, none of the art strikes me as a political statement; it just appears to open eyes to different people’s perspectives on war, weapons and violence in media and how these things can affect our lives more than we think. I highly recommend this exhibition, so head on down to the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum and check it out!

By Samuel Childress