anti-nuclear war head

The Artwork

The Anti-Nuclear War Head is a collaborative work by two artists, Piercey and Hoffman. The sculpture was initially created by Piercey in 1979 and further developed by Hoffman as a symbol of peace in 1981. Piercey named the work and shaped the head so that when viewed from the back, it resembled the form of a mushroom cloud. Hoffman saw the Anti-Nuclear War Head as a symbol that could break into the collective consciousness and inspire "mass deterrence" against the atomic bomb.

Originally conceived to portray the victims of the first atomic blasts over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Hoffman and Piercey collaborated closely to remake the head into a symbol that would unify all, changing and reshaping the Anti-Nuclear War Head until it was devoid of nationality or geographic region, but influenced by and representative of all cultures.

Next, it was decided to alter the scale so that the Anti-Nuclear War Head would be more accessible to a wider audience, increasing its visibility and opportunities for public display. With its scale more "sentinel-like," the Anti-Nuclear War Head would now be seen "watching the skies" and act as a constant reminder to others to resist complacency in the face of what is an ever-present, yet seemingly invisible threat.