Pistols n Poppies, Acrylic on canvas 46 x 25 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (Jan 1, 2022)
We often think of Freud as having suggested that everything can be interpreted in the context of sexuality, so the imagery of shooting bullets through a cylindrical barrel is hard to ignore. This is especially true when we acknowledge that the most gun violence and nearly every case of mass shooting is perpetrated by men. Thinking along those lines seems to be consistent with the observation that gun violence among men — especially in the context of mass shootings where perpetrators are haven mostly been white — is sometimes about compensating for feelings of impotence with fantasies of revenge that often end in suicide, or the perpetrator being killed by law enforcement. Going out with a bang, if you will. Red poppy flowers represent consolation, remembrance, and death. Likewise, the poppy is a common symbol that has been used to represent everything from peace to death and even simply sleep. Since ancient times, poppies placed on tombstones represent eternal sleep
Shaharee Vyaas 