Art, a gun against the NRA
Art, from ancient times, has always been used to express inconformity and rebelliousness against the establishment, a way to protest against repression. This time a British artist is irritated because the National Rifle Association has used in a clip the work of the artist for a promotional video. The artist is living a nightmare due to NRA has created division at US and the lack of common sense about gun possessions and regulations is promoted with his work. Despite that, he will not pursue legal actions against the powerful lobby; the artist is shocked because the unauthorized use of a Cloud Gate image makes the video offensive.
One of the allegations of Kappor is that the footage use goes in the opposite direction to all that Cloud Gate sculpture represents and America stands for. According to the artist he is not mad about a copyrights issue but about the symbolism Cloud Gate represents. “The bean” as it’s known at Chicago’s Millennium Park, is a three-story high arcing, metallic-mirrored form statue that has been the visual centerpiece of the park, and a major tourist attraction since its inauguration in 2006.
However, NRA took the iconic piece of art to release a promotional video that incents violence, quite the opposite to “the bean’s” political message. According to the message conveyed at the spot the only possible way to fight violence is by violence itself and all over media lies most be faced with the fist of the truth. On this regadAnishKapoorbelieves it’s a pity NRA encourages violence inside American citizenship when a peace environment and a united front against gun possessions most prevail. NRA “plays to the basest and most primal impulses of paranoia”, he said to The Guardian. Despite Kapoor knows his rights about the unauthorized use of his sculpture, he also knows that to suit them would be a long and expensive race against the powerful association that owns millions of dollars.
After a reviewing of legal actions, he dismissed the legal option but it will be a high moral and emotional price that Kapoor will suffer. He thinks that it’s an ignominy. “I decided it wasn’t worth the effort, much to my shame because one does want to defend the ethical integrity of the work,” he said.
Anish is an avant-garde artist who creates controversy around his work, and conscience about political issues that affect daily citizens. No matter political or religious believes, Kapoor always used art as a discursive platform of his personal point of views. Recently, he along with more than 200 artists created a coalition to confront through art the rising of rightwing populism. Besides, he donates money for refugee’s assistance; he gave one million to Genesis prizes.
NRA has been the target of serious critics after Parkland gunshot, a massacre that left 17 dead bodies and has generated a student movement across the country, which pretends to sensitize the whole nation. Nevertheless, NRA is pulling some strings at the White House and is blocking all kind of attempts to change laws about gun control. It seems that the US will never stop being a Wild West.
Therefore, it is evident why Kappor feels upset but in the meantime, passersby will admire “the bean” taking some pictures, an act far away of the symbolism quarrel between politicians and artists.
