Non-Violence (sculpture)
| Non-Violence | |
|---|---|
| The Knotted Gun | |
 The sculpture at the United Nations headquarters in New York City | |
| Artist | Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd |
| Completion date | 1985 |
| Type | Sculpture |
Non-Violence, also known as The Knotted Gun, is a bronze sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd of an oversized Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver with its muzzle tied in a knot.
History[]
Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd made this sculpture after the murder of John Lennon.[1] One copy was originally located at the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park. In 1988, Luxembourg donated it to the United Nations, and the sculpture was moved right outside of the headquarters of the UN.[2][3]
Since 1993, the sculpture has been the symbol of The Non-Violence Project (NVPF), a nonprofit organization that promotes social change through violence-prevention education programs.
In 2011, Ringo Starr unveiled his own brightly colored version of The Knotted Gun that he created.[4]
For the 30th anniversary of the sculpture, the NVPF and the art dealer Hansen Fine Art launched a foot-long version of the sculpture sold online.[5] The United Nations Postal Administration issued three stamps depicting the sculpture.[6] In 2019, the NVPF worked with the Dalai Lama to make 150 small-scale Non-Violence sculptures from melted confiscated guns (Humanium Metal), including one copy signed by the Dalai Lama and auctioned at Sotheby's.[7]
Description[]
Non-Violence, or The Knotted Gun, is a bronze sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd of an oversized Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver with its muzzle tied in a knot. According to Kofi Annan, "it has enriched the consciousness of humanity with a powerful symbol that encapsulates, in a few simple curves, the greatest prayer of man; that which asks not for victory, but for peace."[3]»
The Museum of Sketches for Public Art in Lund (Sweden) holds a sketch of the firearm on which Reuterswärd noted that his grief at the murders of Lennon and Bob Crane inspired him to design this artwork.
Locations[]
There are currently 31 copies of the sculpture around the world. They are located in strategic places such as :
See also[]
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Non-Violence (sculpture). |
- ^ "Waymarking.com". Retrieved 2 February 2014.
- ^ "Presentation page on the site of the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United nations" (in French). Archived from the original on 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2011-09-20.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Martin Chilton, Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, sculptor of knotted revolver peace symbol, dies, Telegraph.co.uk, 4 May 2016
- ^ Adam Sherwin, And then there were four: Ringo picks up his paintbrush, Independent.co.uk, 9 December 2011
- ^ Anna Harstedt, Celebrating the iconic Knotted Gun sculpture at the United Nations in NYC, 30 years later, Metro.us, 4 October 2018
- ^ Denise McCarty, U.N.'s new Knotted Gun stamp designs, Linns.com, 25 September 2018
- ^ Ben Paynter, They’re recreating this classic anti-gun-violence sculpture with metal from melted-down guns, Fastcompany.com, 10 January 2019
- ^ Jump up to: a b A blog entry dedicated to the gun with the knot on the barrel, Travelblog.org, 31 July 2011
- ^ Knotted Gun Sculpture Unveiled in Beirut, Voanews.com, 2 October 2018
- ^ John Donohoe, The Knotted Gun, symbol of peace, erected in Belfast, Maethchronicle.ie, 16 September 2019
Coordinates: 40°45′03″N 73°58′04″W / 40.75083°N 73.96778°W
- 1985 sculptures
- Works by Swedish people
- Monuments and memorials to John Lennon
- United Nations art collection
- Anti-war sculptures
- Bronze sculptures in New York City
- Outdoor sculptures in New York City
- Bronze sculptures in France
- Bronze sculptures in China
- Sculptures in Germany
- Sculptures in South Africa
- Sculptures in Sweden
- Sculptures in Switzerland