SAIC Alum Garland Martin Taylor Makes Creative Response to Chicago Gun Violence

Conversation Piece by Garland Martin Taylor (BA 2005, MA 2007) “refers to the discussion people have around the gun” but is also about peace, reports the Chicago Reader. Taylor’s work is a large-scale stainless steel sculpture of a revolver. Anonymous faces of the victims of gun violence are depicted on the trigger, while the names, ages, and dates of death of victims of gun violence from Taylor’s neighborhood are stamped on the barrel grip and cylinder. All of the victims were under the age of twenty. Taylor drove this work across the country last summer stopping along the way and talking to people about it. When confronted with the work, viewers deal with the complex history of gun violence and ownership in the United States. Conversation Piece is on display in “Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition” at the Museum of Science and Industry through February 21.