Murder weapons
March 25, 2010 3:05 AM Subscribe
Paperweight? It's like the pieces off a "Clue" board game.
posted by Tenacious.Me.Tokyo at 3:15 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Tenacious.Me.Tokyo at 3:15 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
The artist says "It is interesting how much these images change as soon as the viewer recognizes that there is a story underneath the surface of the image. Without knowing this, these images show nothing more than knifes and guns."
However, giving your exhibition the title "Murder Weapons 2009" doesn't really give the viewer that opportunity.
I think what might have worked would have been to select a group of the more neutral objects (the statue, the paperweight etc.) and not reveal their story until the very end.
Because otherwise it's really just ogling at murder weapons, isn't it?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:17 AM on March 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
However, giving your exhibition the title "Murder Weapons 2009" doesn't really give the viewer that opportunity.
I think what might have worked would have been to select a group of the more neutral objects (the statue, the paperweight etc.) and not reveal their story until the very end.
Because otherwise it's really just ogling at murder weapons, isn't it?
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 3:17 AM on March 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
Yeah, I was getting a huge Clue while flipping through it.
posted by june made him a gemini at 3:17 AM on March 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by june made him a gemini at 3:17 AM on March 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
and not reveal their story until the very end.
(Spoiler) There was only one victim as these were all from the same crime scene (cue drama hit)
posted by hal9k at 3:23 AM on March 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
(Spoiler) There was only one victim as these were all from the same crime scene (cue drama hit)
posted by hal9k at 3:23 AM on March 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
Simon Menner, with everything, in the Berlin Police Department evidence room. Noobs.
posted by june made him a gemini at 3:24 AM on March 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by june made him a gemini at 3:24 AM on March 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
The hysterical lady, in 10C, in Airplane
posted by hal9k at 3:28 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by hal9k at 3:28 AM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
Booby traps would have made a better post. But murder seemed safer.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:44 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:44 AM on March 25, 2010
We broke it.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 4:17 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 4:17 AM on March 25, 2010
Oh wait, it's back.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 4:18 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 4:18 AM on March 25, 2010
One of them should have been a puddle of water. FIGURE IT OUT
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:26 AM on March 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:26 AM on March 25, 2010 [7 favorites]
The last one should be a clock. GEDDIT??
Also: Due to a huge number of requests on my website, the server I am hosted on, goes down on its knees from time to time.
You could save yourself the huge number of requests if you bought it a diamond necklace.
going to hell
posted by DU at 5:01 AM on March 25, 2010
Also: Due to a huge number of requests on my website, the server I am hosted on, goes down on its knees from time to time.
You could save yourself the huge number of requests if you bought it a diamond necklace.
going to hell
posted by DU at 5:01 AM on March 25, 2010
Thank you very much for visiting my website. Due to a huge number of requests on my website, the server I am hosted on, goes down on its knees from time to time. Please try again later, or try the alternative site http://www.simonmenner.DE (!), which is a exact copy of the .com site but traffic there is much slower - it might work.
posted by pracowity at 5:11 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by pracowity at 5:11 AM on March 25, 2010
I think the subject matter is somewhat interesting, and yes, the whole exercise nicely reaffirms that context is everything, but is it a requirement for something to be seen as art that the photography itself be so indifferently-executed?
If the items were thoughtfully lit so as to properly reveal surface contour and texture, and the ugly color cast removed, would it suddenly become frivolous?
posted by kcds at 5:15 AM on March 25, 2010
If the items were thoughtfully lit so as to properly reveal surface contour and texture, and the ugly color cast removed, would it suddenly become frivolous?
posted by kcds at 5:15 AM on March 25, 2010
kcds: Yes. I think the "indifferent" presentation in a series is key; first of, it signals us that this is not purely documentary, and is "art". This alters our view of it. Of course, if you just seen a single image, the indifferent presentation would make it just a bad photo. More then a few works are good together, not at all alone. I suspect this would be effective in a gallery, with just the titles and you left to browse them.
Also, fascinating number and variety of clubs. I had no idea. I wonder if this is all the clubs in the collection, or are clubs just that popular? I'm not counting the paperweight...
posted by Bovine Love at 5:21 AM on March 25, 2010
Also, fascinating number and variety of clubs. I had no idea. I wonder if this is all the clubs in the collection, or are clubs just that popular? I'm not counting the paperweight...
posted by Bovine Love at 5:21 AM on March 25, 2010
3 observations:
1) As always, the Germans are clubbing pioneers.
2) The juxtaposition of "pistol" and "pestle" is great.
3) That trench knife is pretty sweet.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 5:28 AM on March 25, 2010
1) As always, the Germans are clubbing pioneers.
2) The juxtaposition of "pistol" and "pestle" is great.
3) That trench knife is pretty sweet.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 5:28 AM on March 25, 2010
Man, Thag is gonna be pissed when they see they have his best stone club…and it killed someone. Now how the hell is he gonna go brontosaurus hunting
posted by ShawnString at 5:45 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by ShawnString at 5:45 AM on March 25, 2010
The server has gone all Mr. Boddy on us.
posted by codswallop at 6:07 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by codswallop at 6:07 AM on March 25, 2010
Thinking about what is implied by the orientation of the brass knuckles to the blade in number 22 "Knife with Brass Knuckless,[sic]" is a little disturbing.
posted by vapidave at 6:28 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by vapidave at 6:28 AM on March 25, 2010
le morte de bea arthur: "... otherwise it's really just ogling at murder weapons, isn't it?"
Faces of Death: Art World Edition
posted by Joe Beese at 6:45 AM on March 25, 2010
Faces of Death: Art World Edition
posted by Joe Beese at 6:45 AM on March 25, 2010
Too bad there's no human hand.
posted by sallybrown at 6:53 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by sallybrown at 6:53 AM on March 25, 2010
Silly artist. He could be a little less indifferent in his labeling, as that first "dagger" is clearly a bayonet. Also, sweet kukri.
posted by adamdschneider at 7:17 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by adamdschneider at 7:17 AM on March 25, 2010
lol.
posted by bordensize at 7:25 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by bordensize at 7:25 AM on March 25, 2010
For a few years running the #1 murder weapon of choice in the so-called murder capitals of Canada (per-capita, usually Regina or Winnipeg) was a sharpened (on concrete) butter knife.
posted by clvrmnky at 7:51 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by clvrmnky at 7:51 AM on March 25, 2010
ok idea, but my relationship to a picture of a gun doesn't really change upon realizing that it's been used to kill someone. paperweight, yes. cleaver, yes. gun, not so much.
posted by nathancaswell at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by nathancaswell at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2010
For a few years running the #1 murder weapon of choice in the so-called murder capitals of Canada (per-capita, usually Regina or Winnipeg) was a sharpened (on concrete) butter knife.
They have murder in Canada?
posted by acb at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2010
They have murder in Canada?
posted by acb at 8:06 AM on March 25, 2010
Bovine Love: I get that the presentation is meant to be "clinical", and I agree that the series-viewing aspect is a huge part of the "artistic" nature (as opposed to just seeing one of these photos, standalone), but it still seems to me that had more care been taken in presenting these objects qua objects, by lighting them in a way that revealed more of their nature - surface shape, texture, and indeed coloration - the whole series would have been more compelling.
YM, of course, MV :)
posted by kcds at 8:20 AM on March 25, 2010
YM, of course, MV :)
posted by kcds at 8:20 AM on March 25, 2010
They have murder in Canada?
I doubt it.. Bryan Adams and Celine Dion are still alive.
posted by bondcliff at 8:29 AM on March 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
I doubt it.. Bryan Adams and Celine Dion are still alive.
posted by bondcliff at 8:29 AM on March 25, 2010 [4 favorites]
I believe we can add metafilter to the list, since we seem to have killed the website.
posted by jquinby at 8:38 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by jquinby at 8:38 AM on March 25, 2010
yay, it's back! wait, these are murder weapons.
boo!
or something
posted by jquinby at 8:39 AM on March 25, 2010
boo!
or something
posted by jquinby at 8:39 AM on March 25, 2010
kcds: Yeah, that definitely occured to me. I was thinking give each one loving treatment with great care, etc. I think though it might fetishize them, though. That, in of itself, could actually provide an interesting exhibit but clearly would be one with a very different slant (and not the one that the artist intended). By leaving it kind of "dirty", I think, we carefully avoid making them items of fetish. Of course, if you want to get all meta, the great care taken in the treatment to make them not fetish items could, in fact, make them fetish items. But if I keep down that path well be wandering off into indexical land or some other similar rot.
posted by Bovine Love at 8:53 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by Bovine Love at 8:53 AM on March 25, 2010
For a few years running the #1 murder weapon of choice in the so-called murder capitals of Canada (per-capita, usually Regina or Winnipeg) was a sharpened (on concrete) butter knife.
These things are no joke. My Dad worked in corrections for 30 years, and had one of these knives that had been confiscated from prison in his desk. The guy who made it had ground it down until it essentially looked like a scaled-down version of hunting knife, complete with a hilt made of tightly wound masking tape--contoured for fingers and everything. You'd never guess it was made from a typical household piece of cutlery that's not even considered sharp enough to eat a steak with.
posted by Kirk Grim at 9:29 AM on March 25, 2010
These things are no joke. My Dad worked in corrections for 30 years, and had one of these knives that had been confiscated from prison in his desk. The guy who made it had ground it down until it essentially looked like a scaled-down version of hunting knife, complete with a hilt made of tightly wound masking tape--contoured for fingers and everything. You'd never guess it was made from a typical household piece of cutlery that's not even considered sharp enough to eat a steak with.
posted by Kirk Grim at 9:29 AM on March 25, 2010
Those are some fancy-lookin' brass knuckles.
Last year, just before the onset of winter, I had this crazy urge to learn brass casting. I figured that I want to make something small, yet sort of detailed. I finally settled on brass knuckles, because there are no moving parts, a fairly specific shape, and when done, they'll look cool sitting on my desk.
Sadly, once it got cold, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to do it outside. So now that spring has sprung, I'm going to revisit the idea.
You'd never guess it [butter knife] was made from a typical household piece of cutlery that's not even considered sharp enough to eat a steak with.
When I still did the knife-smithing thing, I used to buy butter knives from Goodwill and other thrift shops for about a dime each, and grind them down into short throwing knives. They were cheap, easy to balance, and if they broke or got lost, I could rough out a new one in about five minutes.
They actually worked remarkably well.
posted by quin at 10:18 AM on March 25, 2010
Last year, just before the onset of winter, I had this crazy urge to learn brass casting. I figured that I want to make something small, yet sort of detailed. I finally settled on brass knuckles, because there are no moving parts, a fairly specific shape, and when done, they'll look cool sitting on my desk.
Sadly, once it got cold, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to do it outside. So now that spring has sprung, I'm going to revisit the idea.
You'd never guess it [butter knife] was made from a typical household piece of cutlery that's not even considered sharp enough to eat a steak with.
When I still did the knife-smithing thing, I used to buy butter knives from Goodwill and other thrift shops for about a dime each, and grind them down into short throwing knives. They were cheap, easy to balance, and if they broke or got lost, I could rough out a new one in about five minutes.
They actually worked remarkably well.
posted by quin at 10:18 AM on March 25, 2010
huh, Surprised this post isn't favorited a lot more.
The images of murder weapons are haunting and evocative. The weapons themselves have such character. They triggered, heh, thinking about the complex backstory each one has, the pain on the body of the person who was murdered, the courtroom drama, the lives ruined, the prison sentences.
His pictures are not like Weegee, the renowned forensic photographer's photographs of crime scenes although many of the weapons look like they must have been used during that 1940's/1950's era. Menner's pics are more gentle and because of that, more frightening.
I really love Simon Menner's photography. Been going through the site and it's packed full of interesting, emotionally charged photographs. Almost all of his work seems to specialize in the combination of haunting and disturbingly attractive or to communicate the idea that things are more than surface appearances.
The Camouflage section is way cool and scary.
Even though they are invisible due to their professionalism, there are hidden snipers in every of these images. They are aiming at the camera and therefore at the viewer.
I had the very friendly support by the German Army who made this series possible by providing me with two of their snipers and a whole day of time.
Another haunting and disturbing-in-its-beauty section is the series of photographs about the homeless and their various around the world city environments in Metacity.
Reading the about this project section on the Boobytraps section I can't help thinking about America's War On Terror having roots in teaching the US Army being how to be a terrorist, using household items. Charming old-fashioned diagrams on committing terror.
I have taken these images from two books "Boobytraps" (1965) and "Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques - References" (1966). These are two "Army Field Manuals" of the US Army. In these books, soldiers are taught to construct boobytraps out of literally everything available. The key point of these two books is not how to detect these exploding traps but how to construct them.
The basic idea of building a trap out of - let´s say - a tea kettle is to spread terror. If a simple tea kettle might be a bomb that could kill or maim me what is there left to trust. Everything might be a bomb and therefore, in the head of the potential victim,everything IS a trap.
Whoa, the Minefields section is tragic in its innocent appearance.
The Backsides of some famous Paintings 2008.
Anyway, I really like this post twoleftfeet, thank you.
posted by nickyskye at 10:24 AM on March 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
The images of murder weapons are haunting and evocative. The weapons themselves have such character. They triggered, heh, thinking about the complex backstory each one has, the pain on the body of the person who was murdered, the courtroom drama, the lives ruined, the prison sentences.
His pictures are not like Weegee, the renowned forensic photographer's photographs of crime scenes although many of the weapons look like they must have been used during that 1940's/1950's era. Menner's pics are more gentle and because of that, more frightening.
I really love Simon Menner's photography. Been going through the site and it's packed full of interesting, emotionally charged photographs. Almost all of his work seems to specialize in the combination of haunting and disturbingly attractive or to communicate the idea that things are more than surface appearances.
The Camouflage section is way cool and scary.
Even though they are invisible due to their professionalism, there are hidden snipers in every of these images. They are aiming at the camera and therefore at the viewer.
I had the very friendly support by the German Army who made this series possible by providing me with two of their snipers and a whole day of time.
Another haunting and disturbing-in-its-beauty section is the series of photographs about the homeless and their various around the world city environments in Metacity.
Reading the about this project section on the Boobytraps section I can't help thinking about America's War On Terror having roots in teaching the US Army being how to be a terrorist, using household items. Charming old-fashioned diagrams on committing terror.
I have taken these images from two books "Boobytraps" (1965) and "Unconventional Warfare Devices and Techniques - References" (1966). These are two "Army Field Manuals" of the US Army. In these books, soldiers are taught to construct boobytraps out of literally everything available. The key point of these two books is not how to detect these exploding traps but how to construct them.
The basic idea of building a trap out of - let´s say - a tea kettle is to spread terror. If a simple tea kettle might be a bomb that could kill or maim me what is there left to trust. Everything might be a bomb and therefore, in the head of the potential victim,everything IS a trap.
Whoa, the Minefields section is tragic in its innocent appearance.
The Backsides of some famous Paintings 2008.
Anyway, I really like this post twoleftfeet, thank you.
posted by nickyskye at 10:24 AM on March 25, 2010 [2 favorites]
INEXPLICABLE: confetti (scroll down to the bottom of the blog post, sorry I couldn't find a better link, especially one including the drawings)
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:29 AM on March 25, 2010
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:29 AM on March 25, 2010
Just out of curiosity, how does one get a nail to stick out of one end of a club? (click on the rightmost box in the second row)
posted by Alnedra at 8:44 PM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Alnedra at 8:44 PM on March 25, 2010 [1 favorite]
They're all murder weapons...from the seventies!
Yeah I was just going to ask what kind of Wes Anderson crime spree would have resulted in these as 2009's crop. Cool photos!
posted by chaff at 11:44 PM on March 25, 2010
Yeah I was just going to ask what kind of Wes Anderson crime spree would have resulted in these as 2009's crop. Cool photos!
posted by chaff at 11:44 PM on March 25, 2010
they are very artistic too, who says art doesn't kill?
posted by neworder7 at 9:39 PM on March 26, 2010
posted by neworder7 at 9:39 PM on March 26, 2010
Just out of curiosity, how does one get a nail to stick out of one end of a club? (click on the rightmost box in the second row)
Use a nail long enough to drive it all the way through so the head is buried in the club and the point sticks out a few inches the other side.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 11:12 AM on March 28, 2010
Use a nail long enough to drive it all the way through so the head is buried in the club and the point sticks out a few inches the other side.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 11:12 AM on March 28, 2010
« Older The End of Cancer? | works and works made with LEGO bricks, and on and... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:14 AM on March 25, 2010