PVC Missile Body, Bud Light Beer Can
Hydra 70 “Bud” extends the exploration of themes surrounding Americana, reactionary tendencies, and the substitution of destructive force with objects fit for U.S. domestic encounters. This artwork depicts a missile based on the Hydra 70 missile, a missile known for its simple construction, use, and cost-effectiveness in production by the United States. The warhead of the missile has been replaced with a crushed can of Bud Light beer, relating the connection between each symbol’s economic nature and mass production for U.S. consumption.
This work reflects on the consequences of valuing cost-efficiency and destruction over the inherent value of human life and the impact of the commodification of American values often prescribed via military might. This work builds upon the series’s examination of applying force within domestic borders but also expands the discourse to encompass the intersection of the military-industrial complex and consumer capitalism.
