Francis Alÿs
(1959)
Camgun (gun number 63), 2005-2006
Wood, metal, plastic, film reels, film, one large vellum drawing of gun signed and numbered
52 x 41.5 x 126 cm (gun) 61 x 121.2 cm (drawing)
Francis Alÿs has described his work as “political poetics in scenes of extreme social conflict.” For this work, he reused bits of wood and metal to assemble his Camgun (gun number 63), with a vintage film reel canister as the bullet magazine. This series of assemblages was made when the artist was “exploring the idea of the camera as a weapon” for his video El Gringo, but children’s play has also significantly influenced the artist’s themes and approaches, resulting in this body of work.