5104 - Birmingham's historical tradition in firearms/weaponry

Considering how much the military romanticizes its weapons and guns, it is quite ironic how the Hotchkiss Naval Gun is left and forgotten in a dark warehouse in Birmingham.

The Gun Quarter in Birmingham has a large and proud history of manufacturing guns in the firearms trade running as far back as the early 17th century. Birmingham was known to be the biggest arms producer in the world, providing weaponry for the military in many wars such as the Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, American Civil War and part of The First World War.

St. Mary's Row, The Gun Quarter, Birmingham.

If Birmingham has the biggest history in the culture of gun manufacturing then why is the Hotchkiss naval gun stored away and forgotten about away from society? The Hotchkiss Naval Gun is a strong representation of western military pride and yet its now a contradiction sitting in a cold and dark warehouse.


Image Source
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rj-1I-7kNnA/U6HyVF1g3PI/AAAAAAAAHnU/eVjamYPh684/s1600/st+mary's+row.jpg

CHC - Archives

"...there is no political power without control of the archive, if not of memory." - Jacques Derrida

The National Archive in Kew, London.

Image Source:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/02/26/article-1253866-0879FF9C000005DC-147_468x286.jpg

CHC - What makes an archive?

Preservation - methods that help keep specifically chosen objects/documents in the same condition in which they were found.

Collaboration of information - records of an object that state the date/location/materials used etc. that can usually tell a story of the object's function.

5104 - Historical context into the Boxer Rebellion

Due to China's defeat to Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895, most of the high end of Chinese society believed that their defeat was purely because of the dominant Europeans in China. They also stated that the Europeans were taking control of China's domestic and foreign policies. With these factors taking place against the Chinese, a rebellion started to arise in 1898.

It all began in Shantung Province which was occupied by a huge proportion of German people who dominated coal mines, rail lines and factories within the Shantung Province. The German occupants made substantial profit while the local Chinese residents lived in awful conditions for little money.

The Europeans and Chinese Christians were murdered by a society in Shantung Province known as Yi Ho Tuan, translated to English as "Righteous Harmony Fists" which was changed to Boxers. They would chant in the streets such things as "Drive out the foreign devils" and "Kill the Christians". In 1900, the Empress Dowager offered support for the Boxers in secret.

The Europeans retreated back into the British Legation which was guarded by 400 European soldiers and sailors, nicknamed the "Carving Knife Brigade" due to lack of proper military weapons. The Siege of the Legation went on for 55 days until an international force supported them, consisting of the Japanese, the British, the Americans, the French, the Germans and the Russians. At this point, 66 Europeans were killed with 150 wounded.

After the Siege. Destruction to the ‘Qianmen’ of Peking

When the Eight-Nation Alliance defeated the Militia United in Righteousness, the Chinese government were ordered to pay $450 million in compensation. The Boxers were punished severely for their actions, mostly were publicly beheaded.

Execution of Boxers after the rebellion.

Source:
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/boxer_rebellion.htm

Image Sources:

http://www.drben.net/files/China/ChinaMaps-ALL/Historic_Maps/Boxer_War-YiHoTuan/Yi_Ho_Tuan_Movement-Map1bT.jpg
http://scheong.wordpress.com/2013/08/15/55-days-at-peking-the-siege-of-the-peking-legation-quarter/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Execution_of_Boxers_after_the_rebellion.png

5104 - MCC Video

https://vimeo.com/109114965

Start of 5104 - Hotchkiss 47mm Naval Gun

As soon as I walked into the MCC, my eyes drew straight to the Hotchkiss Naval Gun standing proud on a plinth which compliments the shine of this historical object. In comparison to all the other figures in the warehouse that have aged over time, this bold icon has been highly respected and kept in high quality condition for over a century. This amplifies the military's priorities and concerns on the display of could be called a "killing machine", possibly because they wanted to glorify its horrific purpose while covering up its true violent identity.

The Hotchkiss Naval Gun began its service for warships in 1886, originating from France and used by the UK, United States, Italy and Russia, mostly used to destroy small torpedo boats prior to WWI. These guns did their duty in the late 19th and early 20th century until they were seen as too heavy with firepower that was too light to be effective when The Great War started; they were altered into sub-caliber training and saluting guns. Having this use for the Hotchkiss Naval Guns, this meant that they prolonged their lifespan up to World War II where presumably ammunition and weaponry had become scarce and so they were transformed back into shooting guns for the war effort. These bulky firing guns were used on warships such as the HMS Furious and various armoured lorries.

With this in mind, I'll take my curiosity into the ergonomics of the design for this object and see what qualities it had to show for in order to be seen as "important" for western warships. I have deep interest in the evolution of these military tools of war; seeing what they used before the Hotchkiss Naval Gun, where they've took it further and what could be possible in the future of these designs.

CHC - MCC findings

Images of a couple of findings from the MCC in Birmingham.

Hotchkiss 47mm Naval Gun

"Captured from the Chinese torpedo boat destroyer "Taku" during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900"

Gun Rifling Machine

"Possibly made by the BSA c.1930"

Keywords

Military, weaponry, Chinese, BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Company),
Boxer Rebellion, naval, brass, metal, steel.


Reflection

The naval gun taken from the Chinese boat destroyer "Taku" is an iconic object of historical significance in the military. The quality in which the weapon has been kept in and the design of the naval gun shows how serious the Western designers were with how much of a high priority the weapon's status was in the turn of the century.

The gun rifling machine was also of interest to me as its purpose is to create helical grooves into the barrel of guns in order to stabilise the projectile. Its noticeable that this is a tool of maximum efficiency for what it does, as is how the naval gun was created where every addition is for an efficient purpose.

It's fascinating to see the importance of the use of ergonomic design in these military objects. Every shape, form, direction and material is used to the best of safety and convenience for the people who use such vital tools.

CHC - Martin Boyce (Continued)

6/10/14 - Part 2

1) A book/article relating to your work.

"Movements in Modern Art - Cubism" by David Cottington.

I want to search further into the roots of the cubist movement and what the catalyst was that inspired Martin Boyce to look into the work of Jan and Joel Martel. The roots go as far back as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque back around the time of the Industrial Revolution.

2) Artist relevant to the keywords.

The artist known as Dan Flavin comes to mind when the keywords "sculpture" and "minimalism" are mentioned. Examples of both of these words being shown is in the work below:

"Our Love is Like the Earth, the Trees, and the Birth"

2003

Martin Boyce

"Monument"

1964

Dan Flavin

Image Sources:

http://www.davidkrutpublishing.com/dkp/wp-content/uploads/Bookshop/modern_artists/cubi.jpg
http://2009.scotlandandvenice.com/sites/default/files/images/4.preview.JPG
http://www.moma.org/collection_images/resized/797/w500h420/CRI_70797.jpg

CHC - Martin Boyce (Continued)

6/10/14 - Part 1

To start the Contemporary and Historical Contexts module, I discussed and collaborated with a fellow student who also looked into the work of Martin Boyce. We shared points on what we both liked, what could be referenced from the chosen work and what keywords stood out.

Liked: The process/journey of going from the patterns of the concrete trees to a whole language in tessellation form, all within a minimalist style.

Reference: The topic of deforestation comes to mind when people view "Out of This Sun" in a possible future where actual trees become extinct. The cold concrete tree displayed as a memorial for trees.

Keywords: Deforestation, tessellation, minimalism, architecture.

Martin Boyce's "Out of This Sun" (2008)

From going back through the art and design references shown in the introductory lecture, I have taken quite an interest into the work made in 2008 known as "Out of This Sun" by the artist Martin Boyce.

What stood out the most in this work is the process from viewing the sculptures, created by Jan and Joel Martel (the four concrete trees), to repeating the pattern of these trees so much that Martin Boyce starts to notice a whole new language emerging from the lines, shapes and forms.

 

"Concrete Trees"

Jan and Joel Martel, 1925

 

"Out of This Sun"

Martin Boyce, 2008

Martin Boyce also created installation pieces that also took my interest, not because of what they are but the relation he was able to create with the human memory. He described the nature of how the mind remembers a particular time and place but it is not linear as humans only tend to remember certain fractions of a setting; such as a certain smell, one certain object, a colour, texture etc.

"Night Terrace - Lantern Chains - Forgotten Seas - Sky"

Martin Boyce

2011

These pieces took my interest mainly because they dig in deep into a bold statement that wouldn't be accounted for on first sight. In my view, it is how much information that can be extracted from something that can be so minimalist which makes the context more attractive. The other major significance about this installation piece is how Martin Boyce has the ability to create an outdoor and atmospheric environment within the gallery space. The combined objects create a beautiful scenario rooted from a person's memory, also this could possibly link to how dementia patients are helped in remembering their life's memories.


Sources
Turner Prize 2011, Martin Boyce
http://www.artnews.org/themoderninstitute/?exi=28444&The_Modern_Institute&Martin_Boyce

Image Sources

http://mooltan.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/screen-shot-2011-12-02-at-2-44-40-pm.png
http://www.contemporaryartdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/image-detail-10-600x429.jpg
http://www.artnews.org/files/0000062000/0000061796.jpg/Martin_Boyce.jpg