The appeal of this art show is transparent.
Hot Wood Arts in Red Hook will feature an eye-catching exhibit of blown-glass sculptures of guns, as part of an art show that uses visual play to ask serious questions about violence in our society.
“They are playful and yet so real,” said Hot Wood Arts curator Megan Suttles of the works in the show, which is dubbed “Clear and Present Danger.” “They are all about tragic things that have happened.”
The pellucid pistols, which artist Claire Lieberman sculpted the with the help of glass experts, are modeled after toy guns from the 1950s and ’60s that she remembers from her childhood.
“It is an opportunity to reflect on the time and the fragility of life and of the things we put into children’s hands and what we do with them when they grow up,” she said.
The show, which opens July 25 and runs through Aug. 17, also features works by Brooklyn artist Jason Maas, who has drawn images of recent news events — including Occupy Oakland and other violent moments from the past few years — with crucial pieces missing.
The name of the show is a play on the two artists’ work — “clear” refers to Liberman’s sculptures, while “present danger” refers to Maas’s use of recent stories of social unrest.
“I am interested in what gets added to an image when you remove information,” said Maas. “There is a thread of social consciousness and choreography of body image when parts are removed.”
“Clear and Present Danger” at Hot Wood Arts [481 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook, (718) 596–4000, www.hotwoodarts.com]. July 25 at 6 pm. Free.
