Non-Violence (sculpture)
{{Short description|Sculpture series by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Non-Violence
| other_title_1 = The Knotted Gun
| image_file =
| image_size = 300px
| caption = The sculpture at the United Nations headquarters in New York City
| type = Sculpture
| artist = Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd
| completion_date = 1984
| height_metric =
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| length_metric =
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| wikidata = Q3142180
}}
Non-Violence, also known as The Knotted Gun, is a bronze sculpture by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd of an oversized Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver with its barrel tied in a knot. It is located at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
History
Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd made this sculpture after the murder of John Lennon, with whom Reuterswärd was acquainted.{{cite book |last1=Fredrik |first1=Carl |title=Closed for holidays : memoarer |date=2000 |publisher=Natur och kultur |isbn=9127080579 |location=Stockholm |page=156}} When learning of the murder he stayed up all night to work on the piece, inspired by the idea of making a knot on the firearm the murderer Mark David Chapman had used.{{cite book |last1=Fredrik |first1=Carl |title=Closed for holidays : memoarer |date=2000 |publisher=Natur och kultur |isbn=9127080579 |location=Stockholm |page=157}} He had previously done pieces of knotted pencils, such as Medium’s Memory in Kristianstad in 1977.{{cite book |last1=Fredrik |first1=Carl |title=Non-Violence och andra offentliga verk |date=2005 |publisher=Skissernas museum |isbn=9178560624 |location=Lund |page=20}} During 1980-1981 Reuterswärd did one prototype of a life size firearm in plaster and one in bronze.{{cite book |last1=Fredrik |first1=Carl |title=Non-Violence och andra offentliga verk |date=2005 |publisher=Skissernas museum |isbn=9178560624 |location=Lund |page=29}} These are now kept in the collection of Museum of Sketches for Public Art in Lund.
The oversized public version of the piece was planned for John Lennon’s memorial Strawberry Fields in Central Park. This sculpture was made 1984,{{cite book |last1=Fredrik |first1=Carl |title=Non-Violence och andra offentliga verk |date=2005 |publisher=Skissernas museum |isbn=9178560624 |location=Lund |page=121}} but when the memorial was opened in 1985 Reuterswärd opted not to have it placed there, citing fears it would be stolen. In 1988, the Luxembourg government bought and donated it to the United Nations. The sculpture was moved right outside of the headquarters of the UN.{{cite web | url=http://newyork-un.mae.lu/fr/Non-Violence-Le-revolver-noue | title=Presentation page on the site of the Permanent Mission of Luxembourg to the United nations | access-date=2011-09-20 | language=fr | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129052835/https://newyork-un.mae.lu/fr/Non-Violence-Le-revolver-noue | archive-date=2019-01-29 | url-status=dead }}Martin Chilton, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/artists/carl-fredrik-reuterswrd-sculptor-of-knotted-revolver-peace-symbo/ Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, sculptor of knotted revolver peace symbol, dies], Telegraph.co.uk, 4 May 2016 Here it was interpreted not only a memorial for John Lennon, but as a symbol against violence and war anywhere in the world.
Following the unveiling of the original sculpture, Reuterswärd did a range of replicas of Non Violence for places around the world, numbering about 30 sculptures. About half of these are in Sweden.
Aside from the public pieces, Reuterswärd made plenty of variations of the sculpture in smaller or life sized scale. In 2012 he donated a collection of pieces like this to the city museum in Landskrona.{{cite web |last1=Millroth |first1=Thomas |title=Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd – Non Violence samlingen |url=https://www.landskrona.se/nyhetsarkiv/carl-fredrik-reutersward--non-violence-samlingen/ |website=Landskrona Stad |access-date=29 October 2021}}
Since 1993, the sculpture has been the symbol of The Non-Violence Project (NVPF), a nonprofit organization that promotes social change through violence-prevention education programs.
In 2011, Ringo Starr unveiled his own brightly colored version of The Knotted Gun that he created.Adam Sherwin, [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/and-then-there-were-four-ringo-picks-up-his-paintbrush-6274451.html And then there were four: Ringo picks up his paintbrush], Independent.co.uk, 9 December 2011 Later, more colour versions were made by Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono and other celebrities.{{cite web |title=Ambassadörer |url=https://www.nonviolencesweden.com/ambassadorer-2/ |website=Non Violence Project |access-date=29 October 2021}}
For the 30th anniversary of the sculpture, the NVPF and the art dealer Hansen Fine Art launched a foot-long version of the sculpture sold online.Anna Harstedt, [https://www.metro.us/news/celebrating-the-iconic-knotted-gun-sculpture-the-united-nations-nyc-30-years-later Celebrating the iconic Knotted Gun sculpture at the United Nations in NYC, 30 years later] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408144547/https://www.metro.us/news/celebrating-the-iconic-knotted-gun-sculpture-the-united-nations-nyc-30-years-later |date=2019-04-08 }}, Metro.us, 4 October 2018 The United Nations Postal Administration issued three stamps depicting the sculpture.Denise McCarty, [https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamps-postal-history/2018/september/united-nations-knotted-gun-designs.html U.N.'s new Knotted Gun stamp designs], Linns.com, 25 September 2018 In 2019, the NVPF worked with the Dalai Lama to make 150 small-scale Non-Violence sculptures from melted confiscated firearms (Humanium Metal), including one copy signed by the Dalai Lama and auctioned at Sotheby's.Ben Paynter, [https://www.fastcompany.com/90290436/theyre-recreating-this-classic-anti-gun-violence-sculpture-with-metal-from-melted-down-guns They’re recreating this classic anti-gun-violence sculpture with metal from melted-down guns], Fastcompany.com, 10 January 2019
Locations
There are currently more than 30 copies of the sculpture around the world. They are located in places such as :
See also
References
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{{John Lennon}}
Category:Works by Swedish people
Category:Monuments and memorials to John Lennon
Category:United Nations art collection
Category:Bronze sculptures in Manhattan
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Manhattan
Category:Bronze sculptures in France
Category:Bronze sculptures in China
Category:Sculptures in Germany
Category:Sculptures in South Africa
Category:Sculptures in Switzerland