“This Is Not A Gun … (Well, Maybe)” - 2019 by contemporary artist Taylor Smith. Oil, enamel and silkscreen on 300gsm paper
Irony is not necessarily the only lens through which one should view Taylor Smith’s vibrantly colored work, This Is Not A Gun … (Well, Maybe). The arbitrary relationship between an object and its name is being challenged in this painting which also pays homage to the gun screen prints of Andy Warhol, the work of Christopher Wool and The Treachery of Images, a 1929 painting by surrealist painter René Magritte. Taylor Smith speaks to many contemporary facts of life in 21st century America by referencing gun violence, political chaos, consumerism and the denial of basic facts including violence and climate change. Consumerism and the mass production of luxury goods, the saturation of media with advertisements and promotions for branded products, and even rising levels of personal debt are addressed in her work. Smith stated, "an image is not be confused with something tangible" when asked about the title of this painting. Given this viewpoint, this artwork takes on an even more complex aspect than a revolver buried in a cluster of cartoon flowers might initially imply.
Pop Art Street Art Graffiti Fusion Painting titled “This Is Not A Gun … (Well, Maybe)” by contemporary artist Taylor Smith.
Smith uses iconic imagery to convey the highs and the lows of modern American life. Artworks are hand painted and silkscreened on canvas, paper and wood panel. At the crossroads of culture and crime, this is art that makes you think. From the “Luxurious Disaster” series of original paintings and screen prints.
