Papi’s Pistole no 1, 2011, one-off cast tin after handmade clay model based on the Reichsrevolver in scale 1:1.5, Carved walnut handle and frame with black glass backing. Sculpture 31x20x6cm, frame 44x34cm.
Papi’s Pistole is a series of individual art objects, modeled after handguns used by the different sides in the two World Wars. As a starting point I have taken the imagined experience of a kid who finds grandad’s old pistol in a drawer. I have tried to envision what it would feel like to a kid; the weight, the potential danger, the unspoken history behind it, and how this impacts the kids ideas of the Old Man. Does it carry with it a scent of adventure, or is it horror?
Papi’s Pistoles are made to be picked up and handled. I made them about 50% larger and much heavier than the real pistols they are modeled after. They are cast in tin after clay, which gives them a cold and heavy feel, but also a very human touch. You can see and feel the imprints of my fingers in the hard metal. In a gallery setting the pieces would surely not be picked up and handled by all visitors, but they could be, and this is clearly visible in how they are made.
