Art Installation Demands Thoughts, Prayers And Action At Five Points
"Thoughts and Prayers" project speaks volumes about the hypocrisy of the oft-repeated phrase.
“Thoughts and prayers are not enough.”
—Barack Obama, after a 2015 mass shooting
It’s remarkable that since the start of this century, the meaning of the simple phrase “thoughts and prayers” has gone from signifying compassion to implicating the futility of anti-gun legislation in the wake of a wave of mass shootings. The three words have inspired many artists to take what tools they use and invoke the phrase in pointed messaging. A search for the phrase on Spotify turns up 30 songs with that title, and dozens more that include the words within a song’s lyrics. Margaret Roleke and Martha Willette Lewis’s project, Thoughts and Prayers, is an art installation that layers the meaning and symbolism of its varied media to amplify the hypocrisy of this phrase, re-injecting it with power. It was first installed on New York City’s Governor’s Island in 2022. The outdoor project is installed on the grounds of Five Points Arts Center in Torrington, Connecticut through September.
Roleke crafted the main sculptural element, a large cruciform bristling with spent shotgun casings, threaded together and wound around a base. The casings were culled from various rifle ranges, and bear dents and deformities — marks made by individuals who touched and fired them. The multicolored shells can emanate an almost playful attitude, reminiscent of a jar of candy or childrens’ plastic toys, cloaking the objects’ murderous potential in a duplicitous veneer.
The second element of the installation, by Lewis, comprises a series of prayer flags cut from recycled t-shirts, each imprinted with a phrase or slogan, such as: “DISARM OUR SCHOOLS,” “OPEN CLASS ROOMS NOT OPEN CARRY,” “FIST BUMPS NOT BUMP STOCKS.” Strung on two lines between Roleke’s sculpture and a majestic tree, the flags are the colors of the spectrum, varying by subtle gradation. Unlike traditional Tibetan prayer flags, which are made in five primary hues representing the elements, Lewis’ signify the diverse range of humanity. As the flags catch the breeze, their messages and good will can be spread on the wind, as in lore happens with traditional prayer flags.
In a similar vein to the shotgun casings, each banner was created from a used t-shirt, once worn by an individual, and whose genetic material is ostensibly ingrained in the fabric. Visitors can share their own missives, which may eventually be incorporated into the installation.
In her art, Lewis draws on science, data, language, and traditional customs to create multi-layered installations that are often specific to sites with historical import. She was an artist-in-residence at the Yale Quantum Institute, which culminated in an installation at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.
Roleke lives near Sandy Hook; the tragic mass shooting there inspired her to begin working with spent shotgun casings to craft expressive, often witty sculptures with a subversive anti-gun message. She has employed toys such as soldier figurines or bold gun imagery to build colorful, textured compositions. At times, the loaded symbolism of the medium is revealed only upon close inspection. She donates a percentage of sales to pro gun control organizations.
Five Points Arts in Torrington has expanded rapidly since its gallery opened in 2012 in the town’s historic district. It now has an Arts Center located in the old University of Connecticut Torrington Regional campus, a few miles outside of town; a downtown Annex, which exhibits work on a first-come basis and offers the professional experience of running a gallery; and the Launchpad, which offers studio space above the Center for young professional artists.
In addition to its varied art exhibits, it offers workshops, classes, talks, and more. Its advocacy for social issues can currently be seen not just in Thoughts and Prayers, but in an exhibition, "Disguises: Put Up Your Hands," by Peter Brown. The artist draws on his personal traumatic experience of an armed home invasion, combining evocative imagery with inventive uses of pinhole lenses and flatbed scans. Powerful, repeated anti-gun messaging in exhibitions such as the ones at Five Points can only help to catalyze real action on this urgent issue.
