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Artist forced to scrap 'bubble-gun' show for pupils after arrest threat
Ross Lydall7 Sep 2009
A London artist who planned to encourage school pupils to “buy” fake guns scrapped his plans today after police warned that he faced arrest.
Ben Turnbull wanted to place a bubble-gum vending machine outside schools in the capital this week and fill it with replica Beretta and Magnum firearms to “explore” children's responses to violence.
But he indicated he had now abandoned his idea after the threat of arrest, though he will still go ahead with the display outside an art gallery.
Turnbull, 35, said the police had threatened to “convict me and put me away” if he went ahead with plans to exhibit the “bubble-gun” machine outside schools in East Sheen, Twickenham, Fulham and Putney.
A charity that represents the families of murdered and injured children said Turnbull, from Battersea, was being irresponsible and a self-publicist.
The artist, in a heated BBC radio ex-
change with Lyn Costello of the charity Mothers Against Murder And Aggression, said replica toy guns were freely available at Camden market and were less damaging than knives. He said he had bought 25 Berettas at the market.
Speaking on the Today programme, he said: “The point is to get the point across to kids who have got easy access to weapons. I think we need to shock people to get this across.”
But Ms Costello said: “Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but guns in a vending machine isn't art. It's irresponsible.
“I think it's totally wrong. I think what you are getting out in the open is your name as an artist. We know how young people are killing each other.”
A secret camera inside the machine was to
have recorded the reaction of pupils looking in, while a photographer took pictures nearby.
Turnbull wanted to use the images as part of an exhibition.
He told the Standard last week that the project explored “the way a teenager's response to personal weapons has changed, in the wake of recent south London knife murders and the Virginia Tech and Columbine massacres”.
He admitted he was worried about the police's reaction, saying: “I believe that what I'm doing is a good thing, but it could be misconstrued as something dangerous that could frighten people.”
The work, entitled Kids Have Everything These Days, is the latest in a series investigating violence.
Turnbull has a forthcoming show at the Eleven Fine Art gallery in Victoria presenting old-fashioned desks with weapons carved into them.
A Met spokeswoman said today: “Having consulted senior colleagues and the Crown Prosecution Service, we believe criminal offences will be committed if this proposal goes ahead.
“While not wishing to rein in artistic desires, we have a responsibility to investigate such matters and potential criminal offences. The artist has been made aware of our position.”
Reader views (6)
Gun crime in Twickenham is an extreme rarity. This installation trivialises gun possession and its subtle message may not be obvious to an 11 year old. To put it near to a school is irresponsible. To photograph young people without their consent, presumably with a view to broadcast their reactions, is a gross invasion of privacy.
I have no problem with this exhibit being in a gallery, properly interpreted; but this "Candid Camera" approach to a serious issue is distasteful.
- Laurence Mann, Twickenham, UK, 09/09/2009 14:33
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Well done Mr Turnbull you have prompted a much needed debate and raised awareness about gun crime and the easy access children have to these weapons. Unfortunately your installation will not take place as you had planned, but it has done its job anyway.
- Sue, GUILDFORD, 08/09/2009 18:10
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If the Met and the Crown Prosecution Service really believe that "criminal offences will be committed if this proposal goes ahead" then how come they haven't arrested and prosecuted the Camden market stallholder who sold the replica guns to Mr Turnbull?
- Austen, London, 07/09/2009 20:15
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Attention seeking buffoon.
- Gary, London, 07/09/2009 17:53
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I wholly support Mr. Turnbull and his exhibit.
Lyn Costello - She said: “The kids will be excited by the sight of the guns. What they need to see is how they maim and kill.”
She's missing the point entirely. Turnbull in his exhibit points out clearly that children and young adults and frankly anyone has access to illegal firearms basically anytime they want. It has nothing to do with enticing young people to possess a weapon.
Of course his statement and exhibit causes feelings of outrage simply by its presence. Irrespective of the fact that these are all replica firearms from over the counter shops and cannot be fired or even accessed in their secure exhibit, the fact remains that proper firearms are easily available to anyone looking for such things.
Perhaps the outrage would be better directed at illegal arms and their traders and dealers than at the artist pointing out the issue. HE'S not the problem, he's holding up a mirror.
You're the one looking into his mirror and the one having to ask if you're ignoring the problem if you don't have it staring back at you.
Society needs a kick in its complacent backside occasionally.
David A Rhys.
- David Allen Rhys, Wrexham, North Wales, 07/09/2009 16:28
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What an irresponsible idiot! We should make him live on a sink estate in South-East London for a few months and see what his reaction to having a real gun pointed at him is....
- Mark, London, 07/09/2009 16:16
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