The Porcelain Pistols by Yvonne Lee Schultz (YLS), are replicas of the famous James Bond Walther PPK and it’s sister P99, with friendly permission of Carl Walther Inc. They are hand-painted in the style of classic china motifs. Whether happy strewn flowers, a classic golden rim or the even more traditional blue onion pattern, they will blend harmonically into the perfect table setting, the pride of every house wife.
The beauty of the material is seductive: almost naturally, the fragile weapon lies next to your coffee and cake, asking to be picked up. The PP’s pleasant coolness and surprisingly comfortable grip increase the qualms of the user – the pistol fits just a bit too well… The comfort level is almost alarming; leaving the user in a quandary between the pleasure of luxury,the fascination of technology and its inherent potential for violence and death. Even though it may be a mere facade, this tension is illustrated in a spectrum of beauty creating a skewed perception of an idyllic setting and homy coziness.
While emphasizing the irresistible thrill of the toy and touching the senses, YLS’ chocolate guns are strangely serving the pleasure for sweets. A series of photos captures the moments when children – the Schoko Kids – are playing with them and eventually will eat them up, even though it seems to be a difficult decision. Luckily those guns are too sweet to kill.