Non-Violence (sculpture)

The sculpture you are approaching is titled Non-Violence, though it is widely known as The Knotted Gun. Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created the piece in 1980 immediately following the murder of his friend, the musician John Lennon. Reuterswärd sought to transform a symbol of lethal force into a gesture of pacifism. The bronze work depicts an oversized Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver with its barrel twisted into a tight, useless knot. Although the gun is cocked and prepared to fire, the barrel makes the weapon entirely incapable of discharging.