Born in New York City, shot in Guatemala, arrested and tortured in a secret prison in China, controversial artist Alfredo Martinez knows a thing or two about guns.

Martinez sees his work sculpturally, relating back to films that impacted him at a young age such as, Mad Max and Star Wars. Drawing inspiration from prop making, Martinez cobbles together found objects into menacing looking weapons: cold and high-tech. His drawings act as building plans.

Subconsciously, his work reflects the culture in which he was raised. It is both direct, unabashed, and profound. As the death toll rises from gun violence in America (there were 364 mass shootings in the United States last year) and a government too misguided and incompetent to do anything about it, Martinez’s work becomes a poignant statement towards a society obsessed, transfixed, and dominated by gun violence.