Mickey Johnston, Bang-le Bracelet, 1997, hand-forged steel, gold, diamonds, and pearl, 3 3⁄4 x 4 3⁄4 x 5⁄8 in. (9.6 x 12.1 x 1.6 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist in honor of Professor Robert Ebendorf, 1999.35
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Bang-le Bracelet
- Artist
- Date
- 1997
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 3 3⁄4 x 4 3⁄4 x 5⁄8 in. (9.6 x 12.1 x 1.6 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of the artist in honor of Professor Robert Ebendorf
- Mediums Description
- hand-forged steel, gold, diamonds, and pearl
- Classifications
- Object Number
- 1999.35
Artwork Description
This bracelet was created for an exhibition in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, called Artists of a Different Caliber. Twenty artists were each given a gun by the Pittsburgh Police Department and asked to create a piece that spoke against random gun violence. Many of the artists chose to create small sculptures with disturbing messages, but Mickey Johnston was determined to make a piece that he thought beautiful. He says, “I concentrated on turning a sword into a plowshare.” From the barrel of a .22 caliber pistol, a so-called Saturday night special, he forged a bracelet with five dangling charms. The gold, diamonds, and pearls applied to the revolver bridge the distance between the beauty of “art” and the realities of “life.”