Jay Rechsteiner | JAY GUNThe Most Dangerous Man on the Planet
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WW is pleased to present the first UK solo show by Swiss artist, Jay Rechsteiner.
‘JAY GUN, The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet’, is an exhibition which ridicules the absurdity of gun-toting machismo. A collection of home-made guns and ‘other gun-related stuff’ satirically takes its cue from American gun culture and weapon infomercials.
‘JAY GUN, The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet’ dramatises the blur between fantasy and reality, child’s play and fatal consequences: Rechsteiner states, “Guns have always held a great fascination, especially for boys. They equip you with the perceived power and invincibility that transforms you into a hero, a cowboy, the saviour of the world!”
The gun, as a signifier of masculinity, is concerned with aggression - a tool which although frequently dangerous becomes useful in certain circumstances. It is also a totem of freedom, a penis substitute, a toy for the uncivilised, a symbol of power and a marker of the real American ‘manly’ man. And yet within the play and parody, a critical eye falls upon gun culture; it is sad and maddening that gun violence in the form of periodic massacres or gang-related killings appears out of control and unstoppable.
JAY GUN is one of Rechsteiner’s idiot personae: the epitome of a soldier, a mercenary, a gangster, and product of a militia state. You are invited to kill him off in the exhibition’s shooting range. Crudely-drawn guns, a Blue-Peter style weapons arsenal, an accompanying infomercial (view below) and a manifesto (listen below) are all presented in Rechsteiner’s inimitable madcap style. ‘JAY GUN, The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet’ is the part of Rechsteiner's John Wayne is Gay series, a broader body of work investigating American identity.
‘JAY GUN, The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet’, is an exhibition which ridicules the absurdity of gun-toting machismo. A collection of home-made guns and ‘other gun-related stuff’ satirically takes its cue from American gun culture and weapon infomercials.
‘JAY GUN, The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet’ dramatises the blur between fantasy and reality, child’s play and fatal consequences: Rechsteiner states, “Guns have always held a great fascination, especially for boys. They equip you with the perceived power and invincibility that transforms you into a hero, a cowboy, the saviour of the world!”
The gun, as a signifier of masculinity, is concerned with aggression - a tool which although frequently dangerous becomes useful in certain circumstances. It is also a totem of freedom, a penis substitute, a toy for the uncivilised, a symbol of power and a marker of the real American ‘manly’ man. And yet within the play and parody, a critical eye falls upon gun culture; it is sad and maddening that gun violence in the form of periodic massacres or gang-related killings appears out of control and unstoppable.
JAY GUN is one of Rechsteiner’s idiot personae: the epitome of a soldier, a mercenary, a gangster, and product of a militia state. You are invited to kill him off in the exhibition’s shooting range. Crudely-drawn guns, a Blue-Peter style weapons arsenal, an accompanying infomercial (view below) and a manifesto (listen below) are all presented in Rechsteiner’s inimitable madcap style. ‘JAY GUN, The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet’ is the part of Rechsteiner's John Wayne is Gay series, a broader body of work investigating American identity.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Jay Rechsteiner is a multi-disciplinary Swiss artist based in London. Anarchic and political themes, tackled with a sense of the ridiculous are central to Rechsteiner's practice. He has exhibited internationally (Japan, USA, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, France) in galleries and museums such as the Fukuoka Art Museum, Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Liverpool, the London Art Fair & the Venice Biennale. In 2005 Rechsteiner joined forces with Portuguese Punk musician Victor 'Torpedo' Silveira and together they started working under the pseudonym Sardine & Tobleroni. After an intensive and creative five-year period, the collaboration ended and Rechsteiner began a new body of work.
Jay Rechsteiner is a multi-disciplinary Swiss artist based in London. Anarchic and political themes, tackled with a sense of the ridiculous are central to Rechsteiner's practice. He has exhibited internationally (Japan, USA, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, France) in galleries and museums such as the Fukuoka Art Museum, Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Liverpool, the London Art Fair & the Venice Biennale. In 2005 Rechsteiner joined forces with Portuguese Punk musician Victor 'Torpedo' Silveira and together they started working under the pseudonym Sardine & Tobleroni. After an intensive and creative five-year period, the collaboration ended and Rechsteiner began a new body of work.
VIDEO & SOUND WORKS
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ArseAnal is a collection of self-made guns by Rechsteiner's JAY GUN persona. The guns are made using various materials such as wood, plastic, metal, wire, springs etc. They are displayed on a wall within the exhibition and feature in the infomercial 'promotional' gun sales video above.
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JAY GUN - the making of...
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A GUN's manifesto, based on Marina Abramovic's 'An Artist's Life Manifesto'
Download PDF Press Release
| press_release_jay_gun_jayrechsteiner.pdf |
