Compass by Man Ray 1920
1mon 18d ago by lemmy.dbzer0.com/u/SnokenKeekaGuard in visualarts@lemmy.dbzer0.com from lemmy.dbzer0.com
Before leaving Paris for New York in 1921, Man Ray made several constructions that questioned the authority of logic and science over the imagination. This quirky instrument, which he called "Compass," was one. The fields of force to which it might respond are as erratic and potentially as destructive as a game of Russian roulette. After making the exposure, Man Ray characteristically disassembled the magnet-and-pistol device, leaving only this single original print as the reminder of a provocative Dada idea. It is "purely cerebral yet material" (as Man Ray said of Marcel Duchamp's "Large Glass"), whimsical yet deadly earnest.
The Met
I love this. Although I'm not seeing it as questioning the authority of logic and science over the imagination. Because this could actually work as a compass. So, to me, this is imagination in service of logic and science. IIRC, and I'm not sure that I do remember correctly in this case, since the magnet's N pole is towards the butt of the gun, the barrel should actually be pointing north.
I think it has a more complicated interpretation about gun violence than simply referencing Russian roulette.
As long as there isn't a lot of interference, and the possible force of the winding of the string is corrected for, this gun would point reliably and accurately at a very distant target, the magnetic north pole. But if you tried to actually shoot the pistol, the act of grabbing it and pulling the trigger would foul its aim. And besides, a handgun is poorly suited for shooting at distant targets.
The handgun form, compared to long guns, is particularly suited to shooting humans. Yet if you follow the compass to its terminus at the magnetic north pole, there probably won't be anybody there worth shooting.
This compass could be used to go reliably in whatever direction, but the barrel aims north.
Wouldn't the gunbarrel point east?
see's thumbnail:
well that's a fun magazine....
see's full size:
that's interesting critique.
Santa seeking handgun.