Andrew Spear

With gun control a heated topic in the upcoming election and horrific events in Colorado recently, the idea that someone would want to own a machine gun still is beyond my comprehension. Photographer, Andrew Spear is exploring that phenomenon in his on-going project, Knob Creek.

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Andrew works a freelance photographer, in addition to creating documentary and fine art work. Often choosing to pursue personal projects near home, much of his work reflects his surroundings as he attempts to understand both the communities he lives in and the relationships he builds with others.  His work has been exhibited at the Houston Center for Photography in Houston, Texas, the Annenberg Space for Photography in New York City, and was presented at LOOKBetween in Charlottesville, VA. His clients include Esquire, TIME, Mother Jones, The Washington Post Magazine, Le Monde’s M Magazine, The New York Times, Smithsonian, US News and World Report and The Wall Street Journal amongst many others.

Knob Creek: Twice a year, thousands of gun enthusiasts descend upon the former Naval munitions testing ground outside of West Point, Kentucky to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights at the largest machine gun shoot in America. Used in the early 20th century, the property tested many of the large scale weapons used in World War I and II before being sold in 1963. Now, the Knob Creek Range is one of the last places in the country where privately-owned class III automatic weapons can legally be fired. This is an ongoing body of work.