45. Trigger Assembly Removed 1972

Curator: This is Sir Eduardo Paolozzi’s collage, "45. Trigger Assembly Removed." Editor: It strikes me as a provocative juxtaposition: the fragmented images of a burlesque dancer alongside diagrams of a firearm. It feels charged, almost aggressive. Curator: Paolozzi often combined mass media imagery with mechanical drawings. In this case, we see a tension between objectification and functional design. Editor: Exactly. The dancer's poses are fetishized, while the gun is presented as a tool, stripped of its violent potential. The collage speaks to the intertwined nature of desire and destruction in our culture. Curator: The artist's selection and arrangement of these symbols invites us to consider the darker aspects of postwar society. Editor: I agree. It's a stark reminder of how easily we can be seduced by images of both pleasure and power. It is important for us to understand how that informs current culture and policy.