Warm Guns: Natalie Baxter Conjures A New Vision and Humorous Critique of Gun Culture
What do gun culture and suffragette banners have in common? Artist Natalie Baxter. In her "Warm Gun" series, Baxter uses humor to critique our obsession with guns and to reclaim her voice from internet trolls.
By Carlow University Art Gallery
Natalie Baxter
Art & Humor
Historically, art has employed humor at the most (in)opportune times. In the face of war, tumult, and cultural change, artists have often reveled in the ridiculous.
Serious Laughter
By subverting expectations through surprising materials, challenging the notion of fine art, and using humor to create space for taboo subjects, artists demonstrate the power of tackling serious topics with levity.
Natalie Baxter's "Warm Gun" Series
Baxter's work playfully interrogates the relationship between masculinity and gun ownership through the traditionally feminine art of quilting.
Responding to Gun Violence
Baxter began the series in 2015 as the national conversation on gun violence intensified in response to several mass shootings and incidences of police brutality.
Gun Caricatures
The exaggerated, brightly-colored sculptures reference the art historical tradition of satire through caricature, where the subject of the joke is brought low, and according to contemporary artist Mike Kelley, deformed “in the service of ridicule.”
Blowback
However, Baxter found herself the subject of online ridicule after a November 2016 "Huffington Post" article garnered "Warm Gun" attention outside of the art world.
"Clearly Confused IV"
When a scathing response was posted on the conservative website “The Blaze”, readers took to the comments to criticize Baxter and her work. Baxter once again turned to craft traditions to rob the commenters of their power.
In response, Baxter crafted ostentatious banners bearing quotes from the caustic online discourse. The soft sculptures echo suffragette banners and protest signs.
Jonesy Cat (2020) by Natalie BaxterCarlow University Art Gallery
Last Laugh
The vibrant colors, gaudy patterns, and plush toy-like qualities of Baxter's "Warm Gun" series and banner artworks visually disarm the violent excesses of contemporary gun culture and subverts toxic misogynistic online trolling through humor, giving the artist the last laugh.
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