Nathaniel Lewis

Art by Nathaniel Lewis.

Sometimes, art is meant to make you smile. Sometimes, it’s meant to make you angry, or sad or to make you reflect. Phoenix artist Nathaniel Lewis’s art is meant to make you squirm a little.

For example, Lewis’s newest collection, "Little Terrors," shows his 1-year-old son holding a toy AR-15. He also displays wooden toy versions of a security camera and monitor, a TSA checkpoint and a gas mask.

Vice called it a “twisted take on playtime” and, for Lewis, that’s kind of the idea. He wants to challenge you with his art and for you to question your reaction to it.

The Show dug into his motivations when he came into KJZZ's studio, and he talked about where these controversial ideas come from.