Paul Hedges: “In My Head”

by Jessica Suzanne Stokes

“In My Head” was created after February 13th, 2024 – one year after the tragic shooting that took place on Michigan State University’s campus in 2023. This piece was created to help preserve the memory of those killed and injured,and to highlight the “uniquely American” problem that is school shootings with references to Michigan gun control laws and the Oxford High shooting in 2021. The cutouts from articles are overlaid with lyrics and tablature from “Hammerhead” by The Offspring, specifically using the raucous cheer to juxtapose the horror and trauma of such an event to reflect the tone of the song.

This collage layers elements of gun laws that the state of Michigan does not have in effect from Everytown, tablature and lyrics from the Offspring song “Hammerhead”–a song purportedly showing the internal monologue of a school shooter–, and excerpts from the Wikipedia article detailing the events of the school shooting that took place at Michigan State University on Monday, February 13. Atop these cut-out elements are the words “WOO HOO” written in red sharpie. In the bottom right corner is the single hand-written word, “repeat.”

Image Description: This collage layers elements of gun laws that the state of Michigan does not have in effect from Everytown, tablature and lyrics from the Offspring song “Hammerhead”–a song purportedly showing the internal monologue of a school shooter–, and excerpts from the Wikipedia article detailing the events of the school shooting that took place at Michigan State University on Monday, February 13. Atop these cut-out elements are the words “WOO HOO” written in red sharpie. In the bottom right corner is the single hand-written word, “repeat.”