Visitors to an exhibition of Jason Siegel’s recent work may, at first, be confused, thinking they’ve stumbled into a black market arms show by accident. Rest assured, that is not the case.
Those weapons are not weapons at all. They’re sculptures made from cameras and lenses, part of Siegel’s project “Shoot Portraits, Not People.” The lifestyle photographer based out of Denver partnered with metal sculptor Keith D’Angelo to create a series of weapons and other military equipment from of old photography gear. Check out a behind-the-scenes look at how the “guns” were created below.
For Siegel’s first nonphotography project, he painstakingly picked through over 200 pounds of camera parts to select the materials D’Angelo would use for each “weapon.” The project explores the “archetype of both guns and cameras as universally recognized symbols of provocateur,” his artist statement reads.
“When I’m taking photos, I’m mostly pressing buttons, whether it’s behind the camera or behind the computer,” explains the photographer. “This project has allowed me to go beyond my creative borders and create something that has no boundaries and yet is totally unique.”
From gas masks to grenades—and everything in between—below are the products of Siegel’s collaboration.
“Shoot Portraits, Not People” is on display at the BLK MKT, a pop-up exhibition space at 534 East Cooper Ave, in Aspen, Colorado. If interested, visitors can purchase singed and numbered prints of the weapons for $300 each. The sculptures themselves range from $6,000 to $12,000—though Siegel notes the grenades piece only costs $300. The exhibition runs until the end of the month. Learn more here.
To see more work from Siegel, take a look at his website or Instagram.
—RealClearLife Staff
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