single sculptures . Ceramic work is labor intensive and time consuming , and Lighton casts all of her own molds from plastic guns .
In the short film
Witness by Don Maxwell , Lighton works through the ceramic process to create I don ’ t want a bullet to kiss your heart . From the initial kneading of the clay to fastening the fired pieces into a final sculpture , the physicality of her work is evident . The prolonged duration of labor not only enhances the aesthetics of the final sculptures , but also the message itself . Engendering weapons as art objects imbues them with a distinctly human quality , where each stage of the process is thoughtfully crafted . A mass produced weapon terminates this humanity in a split second .
Lighton ’ s finished products are fragile replicated weapons that embody a delicate vulnerability . 44 Magnum Mandala presents a tension between the industrial and the spiritual realms by reinterpreting a mandala of five ceramic handguns glazed in white . A mandala represents the Hindu and Buddhist symbol of the universe , a sacred space , and the wholeness of the self . When comprised of weapons , however , this sacredness is saturated with fear . The sense of peace and safety is compromised . Lighton tells me , “ When I was doing this research , I searched online and asked friends , ‘ Do you know anybody that ’ s ever been saved with a gun ?’ I couldn ’ t get an answer .”
Lighton actively participates in politics , calling her representatives and writing letters to advocate for stricter gun laws . Last year , the
National Rifle Association spent over 3 million dollars lobbying for gun rights , to which Lighton asks , “ What is the price of a life ?”
The NRA is the most powerful gun rights lobby in the world , and of its board members ,
93 % are white and 86 % are men . One of the most powerful gun control lobbies in Kansas City is Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America , founded after the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012 . While gun violence largely affects women , and women of color , the promotion of gun rights is controlled by white men . By acknowledging that it is women ’ s lives who are mostly impacted , Lighton advocates for more women to get involved , saying , “ Isn ’ t this the job of a mother , and a woman ?”
Through Lighton ’ s work , we are forced to question the presence of guns in our own lives versus that of our country as a whole . Her sculptures prompt us to ask : What does America value ? In a male dominated gun industry , who gets included in the conversation ? Lighton opens up this conversation by tackling the politics of gun control beyond a bipartisan framework .
“ I care about my country ,” Lighton tells me . “ I ’ m proud that we can say what we want . We need to value our education and we need to value our civil discourse . Maybe as a woman , I can only speak to what I know . We want to protect our children and our civilians . You and me , we are fellow citizens together . You don ’ t look like my enemy , do you ?”
Mackenzie Leighton grew up in Maine and graduated from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University in 2017 . She studied social justice and arts activism with a minor in creative writing , and her poetry has been published on
Confluence and in
The Gallatin Review , winning the 2016 Rubin Prize for Poetry .
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