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| Dan Anderson Little Red Book Man $300 From the Despot Series porcelain, wood-fired & decal fired (10" x 6" x 6") |
Statement:
With instant access to information 24/7 on the Internet and on cable news networks, I have been researching and creating ceramic decals of despots to bring an awareness of all the evil that has transpired and continues to exist on this earth at the hands of a select group of "bad seeds." A case in point, nearly everyone is aware of the millions of Jews that were exterminated by Adolph Hitler. But, how many people know who is responsible for the atrocities in Darfur, in the Sudan or the brutality currently going on in Myanmar? I have been creating what I refer to as my 'despot series' for about five years and in that timeframe the vocabulary of images of despots continue to grow.
The teapot I created for this show has Mao Tse Tung fired on the porcelain surface. I specifically chose this cherubic face of Mao to illustrate how looks can be deceiving. Mao was single handedly responsible for the execution of hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Chinese! Some viewers inform me that my despot series work reminds them of souvenir "kitsch" pieces one would find while traveling in the despots country of origin.
Bio:
Dan Anderson is currently a full-time studio artist following 32 years of teaching ceramics (1970-2002) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). An avid wood firing enthusiast, he has his own anagama kiln at his Old Poag Road Clay and Glass studio/home, where he now spends 100% of his time.
BS Art Education, University of Wisconsin-River Falls
MFA Ceramics, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Dan's work is in numerous private and public collections throughhout the United States.
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