Outrage at 'gun in bag'

Adam Moss

June 21, 2007

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Jo Bloxham with the gun exhibit

A JEWELLERY exhibition which includes a golden gun in a handbag has been condemned for glamorising gang culture.

The display, launched in Manchester today , has sparked outrage after it was discovered the main exhibit was a transparent bag containing a gold-plated gun and bullet.

Inscribed on the gun - a real firearm which has been decommissioned - is `Lady K', which stand for Lady-Killer.

The exhibition comes after five drive-by shootings within a week in south Manchester's notorious gangland, which culminated in the death of father-of-two Ucal Chin in Longsight on Friday.

The collection of exotic and expensive jewellery, on show at the city's Harvey Nichols store, is called `Bite The Bullet' and features hand-made art jewellery from all over the world.

Argument

But it is the golden gun work of controversial Dutch jeweller Ted Noten which has angered anti-gun campaigners.

Jackie Fetherston, who campaigns for Mother's Against Violence after her son Fabian was shot dead in Stockport, said: "I can accept there is an argument that it is a gun which is no longer able to kill anybody, but I don't think guns should be glamorised in this way. I think it is daft and in bad taste."

The exhibition has been put together by Jo Bloxham - wife of Manchester-based property tycoon Tom Bloxham - who said the art work is taking guns away from the streets.

She said: "I am sure there will be criticism. But people should remember that this gun cannot now harm anybody. What Noten has done is taken a gun off the streets and made it into art."

Noten has also created a Manchester-themed silk scarf featuring the city's `bee' symbol and a tiny golden gun.

Mrs Bloxham, who organised the exhibition as one of six in the city as part of the Ars Ornata Europeana contemporary jewellery celebration, said Noten's `gun-bag' is one of the exhibition's most expensive pieces.

What do you think of the exhibit? Have your say.

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Showing comments 1 to 14 and replies | View All

ace, manchester (21/06/2007 at 10:40)

Jo Bloxham
Go back to your upper class living ans stop glorifying weapons that kill people (i know the old saying its people who kill people not guns) But without guns they couldnt. Its a insult to all the gun crime in manchester Ect.After a week where a lot of people have lost their lives by the gun ,we have a woman with a big grin on her face holding a fashion statement of a golden gun in a see through bag .PATHETIC.

marc (21/06/2007 at 10:47)

have to agree with you there, ace. modern art is a load of garbage and modern artists are a bunch of self absorbed grown up children. take that gun and stick it, missus.

Bean B4, manchester (21/06/2007 at 10:53)

Just for once, I agree with marc. I always agree with ace.

Peanut (21/06/2007 at 11:51)

Who does she thinks she's kidding? Ok, they may have taken that gun off the streets but they are still glamorising it. Its disgusting. Oh and its designer is it? It looks like it cost £3 in Claires' accessories!

ian, Oldham (21/06/2007 at 12:18)

As this is art i dont think this is glamorising the gun, its more of a social commentary on todays society and how gun crime has risen and how certain groups of people think that carrying a gun is seen to OK.

alix, manchester (21/06/2007 at 12:49)

disgusting and for once i agree with Ace

ace, manchester (21/06/2007 at 12:51)

I wonder if she would think the same if somebody broke into her home and held her and her wealthy husband up with guns??? (people in glass houses and all that stuff)Its time to stop making guns a fashion statement ...

Angry of New Moston, New Moston (21/06/2007 at 13:10)

Right, yah, right.

wkdboy1, Hyde (21/06/2007 at 14:17)

oh right so its okay for the scallies and chavs to have guns hiden on them but not for others, they wana start looking at the youth and searching them more

Napoleon, Manchester (21/06/2007 at 15:26)

To glamorise guns and so called gun culture takes a press willing to pander to the obvious publicity orientated artist and an audience willing to accept that violence and guns are glamourous. If the press ignored so called self publicist artists,art exhibitions might one day see real art displayed again. As for people who think guns and killing are glamourous, well a gun in a bag won't make any earth shattering changes in their outlook will it?

Kat., Manchester (21/06/2007 at 16:31)

She said: "I am sure there will be criticism. But people should remember that this gun cannot now harm anybody. What Noten has done is taken a gun off the streets and made it into art."

Wasnt it mentioned a few weeks or so back that people were importing de-comissioned guns and making them lethal again?? Peanut - it really does look like it's from Claires Accessories! But Jo has got what she wanted - publicity.

It isnt art at all.

marc (21/06/2007 at 16:47)

i produce better art than that every time i go to the toilet.

Paul Keeble (21/06/2007 at 18:50)

We live in a society obsessed with guns, so I guess something like this is only to be expected. The obsession shows in all sorts of ways - the movies and TV we watch, the games we play - hands up who isn't guilty? We like the frisson of association with something deadly, where everyone gets to go home to mum at teatime. But unfortunately some people have found out the hard way these are not playthings, and this is offensive and disrespectful to them. They are dealing with reality - the rest of us in fantasy. Calling it 'art' is just a get-out.

LookingForLogic, Stockport (22/06/2007 at 01:14)

perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if the profits from the exhibition & sales went toward Youth/Community work to tackle the gun/gang culture that we have. It's not just in 'notorious' parts of Manchester. It's happening everywhere.

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