Kimberly Temme

November 19, 2015

ART 130: Aesthetics and Art Criticism
Show: Divine Ammunition
Location: Crocker Art Museum
Dates: October 10, 2015- January 3, 2016
Theory: Cognitivism

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Nothing in this world can truly justify the use of violence. The reasons can be

sugarcoated or twisted to fit in a virtuous light. The intentions behind it may seem good on the
surface; however, the result will only be pain and bloodshed. One of the most common reasons
for violence is religion. Throughout history, nations and individual groups use their religion to
wage war against those they view as inferior. Examples would be the murderous injunctions
carried out against non-believers during the Crusades to the persecution of Christians and Shiites
by ISIS extremists (Roth, 2015). The reasoning behind this is a troubling contradiction in the
moral beliefs of many of these religions. However, they continue to use religion to allow such
horrific acts to occur.
This theme of violence and religion is deeply expressed by Bay Area sculptor, Al Farrow,
through his use of bullets, shell casings, an assortment of firearms, and projectiles to create a
variety of magnificent replicas of sacred architecture. Over the years, Farrow has been collecting
antique items from different cultures, which helped influence much of his work over the years,
including his African sculpture series (KMVT, 2009). Some items that have invaded his
collection include bullet casings from old battlefields he walked on and they sometimes appear in
his work (Farrow, 2015).
Farrow first gained his inspiration for his new series after a trip to Italy and became
infatuated with the reliquaries he saw in the Medici Chapel of Florence (Irvine Contemporary,
2010). Reliquaries usually housed the remains of an ancient saint or other religious figure. They
are elaborately decorated in gold, jewels, enamel, and ivory. When creating his own reliquary,
Farrows goal was to convey the relationships of brutality and violence versus peace and religion
(Good, 2015). When discussing his work he says, In my constructed reliquaries, I am playfully
employing symbols of war, religion and death in a facade of architectural beauty and
harmonyThe sculptures are an ironic play on the medieval cult of the relic, tomb art, and the

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seductive nature of objects commissioned and historically employed by those seeking position of
power (Kaushik, 2011).
Though Farrow is born Jewish, he never identified with a religion. Instead, he identifies
himself as spiritual (KMVT, 2009). What he means by that is he believes in the soul and that we
are all reincarnated thousands of times to experience every type of life. Farrow strongly dislikes
the idea of organized religions. The reason behind this is because of the violence religion has
caused. However, that does not mean he disrespects other peoples rights to follow a religion
because it is good to have ones own beliefs. In addition, Farrow is a strong believer in
nonviolence, which is evident in his show. Despite working with weaponry, Farrow has never
even fired a gun and says he has no desire to do it (Farrow, 2015). It is important that the artist
actually supports his or her idea. There is a sense of honesty that is communicated between the
artist and audience from the artwork. It is harder to take an idea or message seriously when not
even the artist truly cares about it.
Farrow has always been a social-activist throughout his life, but it was not until he started
using art did he feel he was getting anywhere (Farrow, 2015). He was able to express his ideas to
the public and he proved to be more successful. This concept comes from aesthetic cognitivism.
Aesthetic cognitivism is the theory of art that proposes that art provides us with knowledge not
obtainable by other means (Barrett, 233). Artists use their art to express or communicate their
views, ideas, or social events to the world. Sometimes, there is not another way to express an
idea or emotion except with art. That can be said about anything. For instance, poetry can be the
only way to express a topic at times. In his show, Farrow is tremendously successful in achieving
this. He wants to get his point across and does it through his art, sometimes being literal or
through hidden meanings. Any viewer of this show, adult or child alike, is drawn in by the
beauty and complexity of each piece of architecture, only to be shocked by the weaponry used to

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describe the structures. Through his unique use of materials, such as guns, bullets, glass, steel,
and bones, Farrow is able to communicate the idea of how religion has been used to justify
violence.
Take a moment to remember the phrase: A picture is worth a thousand words. The
saying means that an image, photo, or a work of art can express so much more than just trying to
use words. Where does it get its strength though? For some artist, for example Farrow, the
strength comes from the materials that are used. There are multiple ways to express the same
idea that Farrow is trying to get across. However, his use of weaponry takes it to another level of
achievement. Realistic representations are built from these materials that can express powerful
emotions and ideas that would not be possible any other way. Painting a cathedral that is
constructed out of weaponry would not have the same effect as seeing an actual sculpture made
of the material itself.
Each of his pieces in the exhibition has unique characteristics in the choice of materials
with all of them being successful in expressing the main idea. The first successful piece to be
noted is Skull of Santo Guerro (II) (Image 1). It is a reliquary that houses a human skull and
antiquated bullets. The composition of the piece is designed to have the focus on the crucifix.
With not only the artillery shells pointing upward, the skull is also gazing up at it. The saint that
is referenced actually does not exist. Santo Guerro is invented by Farrow as the Saint of War,
which is what the name means (KMVT, 2009). The name comes from the Italian word for war
and is masculinized. The word in Italian is actually used in a feminine context. However, Farrow
felt that war is a masculine concept, so he changed it. By putting the saints skull in the
reliquary, Farrow is referencing the reliquaries used in Catholic religious purposes. The entire
piece is made of artillery shells, bullets, shell casings, gun parts, steel, glass, and a crucifix.
Though it is beautifully done, it still has a gut-wrenching effect on the viewer. People have gone

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to war or committed violent crimes in the name of their saints or gods. They did not question it
and they believed that it would allow them to get into heaven if they were successful. A reliquary
made of gold and jewels does not have the same effect as one made of weaponry. When someone
views an ordinary reliquary, the history of violence behind it does not come to mind. It is
forgotten and replaced by beauty.
Another fascinating piece that has great success in supporting the idea of violence and
religion is Menorah (I) (Image 2). Menorah (I) is a menorah made of guns, gun parts, bullets,
and steel. In the pistol barrels, real candles can be placed inside making it a functioning menorah.
The menorah is traditionally an iconic symbol of Judaism with this particular version being used
during Hanukah. The piece is built perfectly symmetrical giving a sense of balance and elegance,
which would normally be calming to the viewer. Once the materials are recognized does this
piece throw a person off balance. The entire menorah is given a black patina instead of gold,
silver, or brass causing it to have an even darker context. Throughout history, Jews have been on
the receiving end of many acts of violence, especially, as seen during World War II. They were
persecuted because of their religion and seen as an inferior race. During WWII, Jews were
rounded up and over six million of them were murdered in the name of Nazism. Menorah (I)
serves as a reminder of the crimes done against the Jews.
As much as individuals would like to believe, every organized religion has used religion
to justify violence, including Protestants. War may not always have been the outcome, but
violence is still violence, no matter the scale. In Farrows sculpture, Revelation (I) (Image 3), a
traditional Protestant church is replicated from the bell tower to the cobblestone chimney to the
shingled roof. Protestant churches tend to be simple in design with minimum religious items. The
church is symmetrically designed from the front with bullets being the common motif. At first
glance, they do not really look like bullets. Farrow utilizes the bullets in a variety of ways. To

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begin, an assortment of bullets are picked depending on what they are for, meaning a certain kind
would be used for the wall, while another for the roof. Some are given a white patina to imitate
the country-style church. Other bullets are flattened to be shingles. Overall, the design of the
church is meant to draw a viewer in and shock them of the materials that are used. The entire
church is made of bullets, guns, and steel. The materials are meant to remind the viewer that
though Protestants intentions were selfishly good in the name of religion, violence was still
used to get results. Once the Protestants broke from the Catholic Church, they became one of the
dominating religions in Europe and America. They continued the trend of using religion to
dominate or convert inferior people in the name of saving them, though it tended to be at
gunpoint. A common example would the European settlers and Native Americans. The
Europeans tried converting some tribes to get what they wanted, but the ones who did not want
anything to do with them were eventually relocated or massacred.
If a viewer looks inside the church (Image 3.1), one would be able to see a bible opened
to the Book of Revelation with a facsimile of Albrecht Durers engraving of the Four Horsemen
of the Apocalypse (Roth, 2015). If an individual wished to get into heaven, they would need to
be morally good and follow the teachings of Christ. From that point of view, if a Protestant used
violence, even in the name of God, would they still get into heaven? Technically, no, they would
not because murder was a grave moral evil and a person would be sent to hell. However, since
the act was for religion, the crime was excused. A message that University of Chicago professor,
Adela Yarbro Collins, depicted from the Book of Revelation is that on the one hand there is
there a rather terrifying vision of this world, as a place that is brutal, where savage powers are let
loose, but also then that sees this world in perspective, where the powers of this world are
passing awayThat the powers of this world, no matter how terrifying they may be, are passing
away and that in the end righteousness and justice will prevail (Collins, 2014). That may be the

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overall message of the book, however, the people causing this terrifying world are the same
people who use religion to justify the war. The inclusion of the bible in the sculpture reveals the
contradictions many religions had.
Farrow continues to support his theme through one of his showstopper pieces. When
entering the exhibit, mausoleums, churches, and reliquaries welcome the guests. After they enter
the next room, they see an enormous sculpture that at first glance appears to replicate the form
of a Gothic cathedral. Close inspection, however, reveals that the entire structure is formed by a
jaw-dropping quantity of ammunition (Stevenson, 2011). Before them is a one thousand and
two hundred pound cathedral made of two hundred disassembled guns. The Spine and Tooth of
Santo Guerro (Image 4) is based off of Europes cathedrals, such as Frances Notre Dame and
Reims and Germanys Kln cathedral. The shear scale and detail of the piece leaves many
visitors in absolute awe. Cathedrals are traditionally meant to leave individuals with a sense of
fear. They are forced to look upward at this grand structure and left to feel very small and
insignificant. The cathedrals frightening personality is matched with the use of weaponry in its
design. Guns and other similar weapons usually leave a person with an unsettling feeling. The
guns that are used as the flying buttresses (Image 4.1), which are used to support the structure of
a cathedral, are a metaphor on how religion is supported by the military and vice versa. The
military is always around to back up religion and religion will support the military.
At first glance, it is difficult to figure out how the title, The Spine and Tooth of Santo
Guerro, was created. One of the attention-grabbing portions about this cathedral is that there are
hidden items that can be easily missed. One would be the tooth above one of the doors (Image
4.2). Including a tooth in one his works is important for Farrow because for saints, that can be
the only thing an entire church is based around. They are quite proud of having a molar of a dead
saint, who may or may not be real. The second item requires a more close up and investigative

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view. Inside the cathedral is a real human spine. If a persons first thoughts were that it sounds
just like one of the other reliquary pieces, they would be correct. Once again, Farrow is
referencing the reliquaries the Catholic churches had of their saints. The saint of this particular
cathedral is Santo Guerro, Farrows invented saint of war. Santo Guerro continues to be a
powerful motif in many of the works in Farrows series with many of his body parts being
included in them.
In his show, Farrow has a piece that hits a little close to home for some people with
everything happening in the news. When viewing it from the front side, the Bombed Mosque
(Image 5) looks like a beautiful replica of an Islamic mosque. Though the whole piece is made of
ammunition, he is still able to capture the unique characteristics of Islamic architecture. Two gun
barrels stand tall to represent the iconic minarets seen at mosques. The intricate detail of
arabesque design is rendered from turquoise patina and gold bullets (Image 5.1). The one
material that will never be found in Farrows mosques is a human remain. Though he is trying to
make a point, Farrow would never actually insult a religion (Stevenson, 2015). Bones are not
required to express his idea in this piece. On the reverse side of the mosque is a sight of horror.
From the front view the mosque appears to be perfectly intact. However, after viewing the
reverse side (Image 5.2), museum guests will discover a gaping hole in the dome of the mosque.
The destruction can leave one with feelings of despair, loss, and confusion. Why would someone
do that to a building? The broken mosque with architecture made from weaponry communicates
what violence can do. For Bombed Mosque, Farrow wishes to communicate the conflict within
one religion. Though the Sunni and Shiite are branches of Islam that share many of the same
beliefs and practices, acts of terrorism has broken out between them. They are part of the same
religion, yet it is used to justify attacking one another. The two sides of the mosque can also
serve as a duality for religion. Religion can have a beautiful side; however, sometimes there is

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darker side to it hidden from view.

Unfortunately, there is not a religion with bloodless hands. When looking at Farrows
work, it is obvious what he is trying to convey. However, it can be a little more difficult for the
viewer to identify what the religions did. After going down memory lane, also known as history,
those crimes become more obvious. Religion was often used to justify wars, invasions, and
massacres, leading to this worlds many tragedies. It is important to remember that the religion
itself is not violent. Tragically, that is how is shown in the media. Farrow is successful in
expressing a cognitive idea to further peoples knowledge and understanding of the world. His
choice in materials played a major role in promoting the idea of religion and violence. Including
hidden items to further push the idea of individual pieces was a clever strategy and an interactive
way to engage the viewer with the piece. The chosen material could make or break an idea, no
matter how powerful it might be.
Divine Ammunition is an art exhibit that can be presented to any age group of students
judging on the enthusiastic and engaged expressions of the museum guests. Though the content
can be a bit dark for some children, it did not stop them in their attempts in understanding it.
Even children that were as young as ten were capable of interacting with Farrows work and
breaking down what they saw and what they thought. However, the age groups that will be
focused on for this teaching strategy are Junior and Senior students.
Before this show is introduced to them, an art project would be given to help engage the
students and have them start thinking about it. The project would involve them selecting a social
or political issue they want to express through sculpture, but they need to use materials that
would help convey that message. The media for the students to use is not limited as long as it is
safe by school regulations. The world will be their medium. All students are encouraged to speak
with instructors from other departments to expand perspectives outside of their own and gaining

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new knowledge on how to express their issue. By being selective in their materials, it will help
them understand how powerful or successful their message can be.
During the project or after it is complete, the students are introduced to Al Farrows
exhibit. Each student is broken up into groups with each group focusing on one piece at a time.
At this point the teaching strategy, Visual Teaching Strategy, will be used. The students are first
asked basic questions of what they see and how they know something. VTS helps engage
students into conversations with out judgments from other students (Aesthetic Development,
2015). There is no right or wrong answer. They build on one anothers opinions in hopes of
gaining new knowledge of the work. As the groups rotate between each piece, new questions are
added to the discussion, such as, what are the artists intentions with the work? Is he successful?
How is society influencing the work? What art theory is most effective with this type of work?
Does a classmate agree or disagree with your opinion? Why?
While still at the exhibit, the students come back together into a large group. They will
discuss what they found out and debate politely if they have rivaling opinions. Overall, this
teaching strategy will help students create a work in multimedia that will demonstrate new skills
and communicate ideas. It will also help them to learn how to identify the artists intentions and
whether it was successful.

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Bibliography
Aesthetic Development. (2015). Retrieved October 12, 2015, from Visual Teaching
Strategies : http://www.vtshome.org/research/aesthetic-development
Collins, A. Y. (2014). Apocalypticism Explained: The Book of Revelation Retrieved November
16, 2015, from PBS Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh /pages/frontline/shows/
apocalypse/explanation/brevelation.html
Farrow, A. (2015, October 18). Artist Talk.
Good, B. (2015, April 7). Forum Gallery Presents A Must-See Exhibition Of Works By Al
Farrow. Retrieved October 16, 2015, from InCollect: Inspiring Collectors:
https://www.incollect.com/articles/forum-gallery-presents-a-must-see-exhibitionof-works-by-al-farrow
Irvine Contemporary. (2010, May 8). Al Farrow " Regime Change Starts at Home" at Irvine
Contemporary, October 18-December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 14, 2015, from
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq44YwwGFvk&list=WL&index=77
Kaushik. (2011, May 5). Al Farrow Makes Religious Sculptures From Guns And Ammo .
Retrieved October 11, 2015, from Amusing Planet:
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2011/05/al-farrow-makes-religioussculptures.html
KMVT. (2009, March 4). Present! - Al Farrow in His Studio . Retrieved October 13, 2015,
from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQlYnexjDGM
Roth, D. (2015, November 8). Al Farrow @ Crocker Art Museum. Retrieved November 13,
2015, from Square Cylinder: http://www.squarecylinder.com/2015/11/al-farrowcrocker-art-museum/

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Stevenson, Roy. (2011, July/August). Al Farrows Modern-Day Reliquaries. Sculpture

Magazine, 30(6), 46-49

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