35,000 gun-related deaths a year. 73,500 non-fatal gun-related injuries. 245 Americans come together in JR and TIME magazine's latest survey on guns in America, an issue that continues to deeply affect and divide the nation. Read on to find out more about the major project...
The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America
Last week JR's latest project was revealed and it was likely his most ambitious to date. The project saw him team up with TIME magazine to create a multimedia piece on an issue central to America, guns. The piece was a video mural combining interactive images of 245 Americans from every side of the debate, each one with a unique point of view. An epic artwork reminiscent of an Old Masters painting which took JR and his team five months to complete. The video mural is on display at Pace Gallery and set to tour the US, being installed in various museums and public locations.
A still version of the image also featured on TIME magazine's cover and was plastered on Houston Bowery Wall in the artist's signature style. The image also exists as an interactive online image on the TIME website. Each subject comes alive with the visitors's click, allowing website visitors to explore each individual story with the movement of their mouse, as you can see in the iamge below.
The live collage features politicians, activists, protestors, school teachers, doctors, policemen, soldiers, hunters, victims of gun violence and more, showing the true diversity and unique perspective through which everyone in America joins this often painful debate.
Making the Video: Can Art Change the World?
As an artist from France, who has always explored complex social issues through his work, JR brings a unique perspective to the issue, the perspective of an outsider, open to hearing and showcasing every side of the debate that has divided America for so long.
Sadly, about 24 hours after the mural's installation its timeliness was proven, with yet another shooting occurring in America, this time in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. A red 11 appeared on the mural shortly after, representing the latest shooting's number of victims. The mural even became a "make-shift memorial" with flowers being placed at its base, paying respect to the latest victims.
The project shows true artistry in allowing each person to tell their own story and revealing the common ground which is often forgotten. JR manages to stay objective and simply raise the question allowing viewers their own conclusions. As the artist remarked:
