One bullet canvas, Blue steel depicts an outline of a dead body. Bullet holes dotted the canvas.

Other, white metal canvases just contain bullet holes.

Reza said he would not paint the metal because the works can speak for themselves.

"There is no statement I can make that is stronger than the paintings themselves," he said.

At Bonnette, a hunting club west of Palm Beach Gardens, sharpshooter Court Swett got the target in his sights, but he had trouble seeing the connection between bullets and art.

"I think it's rather ridiculous. It just doesn't seem that much like art," said "Swett, of West Palm Beach, "But what do I know? I just "shoot for a living."

Others found the work commendable, and different.

Bruce Helander, owner of the Helander Gallery of Palm Beach, said the idea was a sharp one. "It looks like he's on target," Helander said, playing with words, "But it may be a shot in the dark."

Publicist Deirdre Sykes said Reza's works are valued from $5,000 to $20,000. The Roof Gardens of West Palm Beach will showcase the "Guns and Roses" series the late fall, Sykes, said.

_________

A painting by pop artist Reza is hanged and a bullet was fired into it. His "Guns and Roses" series will consist of flowers painted on regular canvases and canvases containing bullet holes.

Artist Reza tells sharpshooter Court Swett at the Bonnette Hunting Preserve what he wants shot on a blank canvas.

Staff photos / ROBERT MAYER

METRO EXTRA
Sun Sentinel
The Best newspaper in Florida

 Saturday, June 22. 1991                                                                      35 cents

BOOMS, BLOOMS

Pop artist Reza uses
guns and roses for his creations.

By GENTRY BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Plenty of shooting went on Friday at Bonnette Hunting Preserve.

Bullets whizzed through the air and hit their target.

But the trophy for the living room wall won't be a moose head.

Instead, that space over the sofa might be graced with a work by pop artist Reza.

As an artist, Reza always goes with Inspiration. And when inspiration hit about a year ago, it said, "Guns and Roses. "

Not the rock music group. Actual guns, as in, "Will you need some rounds for this purchase, Sir?" and roses, as in, "Honey, I love, you." The artist wanted to express life, and he put the two together because they are total extremes.

The "Guns and Roses" series will consist of flowers painted off regular canvases and canvases containing bullet holes.

Inspiration sent Reza to Holland to paint the flowers. One of the paintings is Beautiful Morning, a collection of pink roses.

The bullet-hole works will be both plain metal sheets and painted canvas Reza firing into the metal sheeting catches the bullet expression better than painting it.