Beaver Street Gallery

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Kalashnikov's Tears
Jay McCormick

August 1 - September 29, 2007

MORE INFORMATION

A year ago, I bought a Nikon D50.  I use natural light.   I don’t use Photoshop.  All of these images were taken with this camera.   I’ve never had a lesson in photography.

As a silversmith, I set out to take photos of my jewelry on a model, and got sidetracked.    When I tried a Tuareg-style head wrap on a model, I liked what happened.   The cloth added color and flow, and it isolated the eyes.  These beautiful women began to look mysterious and powerful.  Maybe even dangerous.  

I put AK-47s in the models’ hands.  Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the AK-47, says he has created his weapon to save the motherland, not to be misused by terrorists and politicians.  Sometimes in an interview, his eyes will fill with tears.  While an AK doesn’t have the aesthetics of a hundred-year-old Smith & Wesson revolver, or an antique single-shot rifle, something it does have is a strong iconic value.

 What I looked for in these images is what I look for in life:  beauty and intrigue.

The women who model for me have been wonderful.  Brave and beautiful.  Angels, every one.   Really, this is their show more than mine.

Jay McCormick

Group A

Unmounted Digital Prints - 15" x 10"

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Group B

Unmounted Digital Prints - 15" x 10"

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Group C

Unmounted Digital Prints - 15" x 10"

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Group D

Unmounted Digital Prints - 30" x 20"

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Group E

Unmounted Digital Prints - 15" x 10"

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Group F

Unmounted Digital Prints - 15" x 10"

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Group G

Unmounted Digital Prints - 15" x 10"

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