Trumped Up China

The Party's Over & Trump Esq.



Ceramics have been used historically to communicate ideas, advocate social change and propagate political sentiment. This practice expands greatly in the 18th century with the invention of the ceramic transfer print in British pottery production. Printed imagery of the day could be adapted in real time to functional ceramics furnishing a broad demographic of British colonial and American Households My recreation of an 18th century creamware Punch bowl depicts a real time political portrait of Trump adapting the satirical 18th century engraving of John Wilkes Esquire by William Hogarth. Drawing distinct parallels between Wilkes and his 'populist' paper The North Briton and Trump's propaganda machine of 21st century social and mainstream media. Trumps own 'Tweet' beneath his feet and garlands of bullets surround 'toasts' of IMPEACH and REPLACE in keeping with the ritual of 18th century punch drinking described by ceramic scholar Robert Hunter as "a contact sport."

Issue "No 45" of Wilkes' famed inflammatory publication the North Briton finally crossed the line of direct seditious libel against King George lll and under a dubious general warrant Wilkes was arrested. This act became the rally cry to charge the crown with an overreach of power and "The number 45 became a symbol of radical politics" that catapulted Wilkes populist rise and his posture as a hero of the American Revolution. Here the No 45 takes on new life as the Moniker of Trump's rise to presidency. Purveying the lie of President Obama's illegitimacy was the disturbing toolkit for Trump's 'populist' appeal demonizing diversity of race culture and religion as a threat to white America. The exterior of the bowl like the 45th President is surrounded with Russian interference, complicit social media and significantly the republican overreach that gave the American people the Treason of Trump for President.

No 45 PUNCH
Media Thrown earthenware with transfers of gold and luster



This toy or child's chamber pot is from an 18th century English creamware example that was undecorated as was much of 18th century creamware production. The use here was a continuation of my series of political ceramic protests Trumped up China. The idea for the piece originated as a sort of mug form idea in miniature of my piece Republican Potty 2016 and more decry's political complicity in gun violence and more specifically against children in schools. Most recently it has taken on new meaning with children being taken from their parents at the border and jailed in camps at the border and across the country at the hands of the Trump administration and the Republican congresses complete failure to uphold their sworn duty to uphold the law and constitution.


Election Jug

From Russia with Love

Thunder Mug 2018
Thrown white earthenware with creamware glaze, artist's designed ceramic transfers of gold The Party's Over and Trump Esq. gold pink and blue luster.



Party Platter
Slipcast porcelain with overglaze ceramic transfer and handpainted gold enamel and luster
Date: 2018
Size: L 18" W 14" H 2"

Michelle Erickson's satirical ceramic transfer The Party's Over was created in 2014 and adapts Paul Revere's 1774 engraving The Able Doctor as a modern reinvention of the use of ceramics as a democratic means for social and political commentary. Transposed portraits of key contemporary self-proclaimed 'tea party' politicians and activists fit alarmingly well into this brutal 18th century satire. Her latest iteration Party Platter incorporates a large version of the composition depicting the violation of an allegorical America and dually represents the broader notion of an imperiled Liberty facilitated greatly by Citizens United. Most specifically the piece speaks to the inconceivable plight of women's rights at risk in 21st century America.


Michelle Erickson's work The Party's Over adapts Paul Revere's 1774 engraving The Able Doctor as a modern reinvention of this practice. Transposed portraits of key contemporary self-proclaimed 'tea party'politicians and activists fit alarmingly well into this brutal 18th century satire. The composition depicting the violation of an allegorical America dually represents the broader notion of an imperiled Liberty facilitated greatly by citizens united and more specifically the inconceivable plight of women's rights at risk in 21st century America.

The Party's Over



Remember 2020 (Kaepernick mug)
Thrown creamware mug based on 18th archeological example excavated on a Virginia Plantation site. Artists custom ceramic transfers and hand luster and gold enamel.Erickson historically connects NFL player now Nike spokesman Colin Kaepernick' staking a knee against the injustice of mass incarceration and institutional racism to the iconic image of the 'kneeling slave' made famous by Josiah Wedgwood's 1787 abolitionist medallion 'Am I Not A Man and A Brother'. By the early 19th century commercial ceramic tablewares like sugar bowls inscribed with pleas for freedom depict the kneeling slave, here a woman, and the call to boycott sugar produced by slave labor-directly instructing social activism through household ceramics.


Erickson's limited edition Made In USA mugs use a line of commercially available American made Starbucks mugs as the vehicle for her prescient 2013 political satire The Party's Over. The mugs are clobbered with her ceramic print, pink luster and gold enameled logo incorperating the company's makers mark as title.

MADE IN USA 2016
Off the shelf Starbucks 'made in usa' mugs with artists ceramic transfer print and luster enamel decoration



Michelle Erickson's series Made In USA repurposes commercially available American made Starbucks mugs for social and political commentary. Erickson historically connects NFL player now Nike spokesman Colin Kaepernick's taking a knee against the injustice of mass incarceration and institutional racism to the iconic image of the 'kneeling slave' made famous by Josiah Wedgwood's 1787 abolitionist medallion 'Am I Not A Man and A Brother'. By the early 19th century commercial ceramic table wares like sugar bowls inscribed with pleas for freedom depict the kneeling slave, here a woman, and the call to boycott sugar produced by slave labor- directly instructing social activism through household ceramics.

MADE IN USA EQUALITY
Off the shelf Starbucks 'made in usa' mug with artist's ceramic transfer print and luster enamel decoration.



Dont Tread on Me 2019
Reference gadsden flag, images from abolitionist sugar bowl. Slogan appropriated by so called 'teaparty' political movement.



Trump Esq. transforms the satirical engraving of 18th century rake come populist. John Wilkes Esquire by William Hogarth into a political portrait of Trump. Erickson draws distinct parallels between Wilkes and his 'populist' paper The North Briton and Trump?s propaganda machine of 21st century social and mainstream media. "Years of cynical republican leadership assaults on immigration, women's rights, voting rights, planned parenthood, LGBT rights, climate change, and gun legislation - the ugly politics of us and them gave Trump his rebel yell."

Made In USA Trump Esq. 2018
18th century Staffordshire white salt glaze stoneware with artists ceramic transfer prints

Trump Esq. transforms the satirical 18th century engraving of John Wilkes Esq.uire by William Hogarth into a political portrait of Trump. The 18th century rake come populist -described here as a "Member of Parliament, political agitator, friend of freedom, demagogue, wit, libertine, pornographer, and shameless self-promoter, England's John Wilkes was to colonial Americans an idol." With unsuccessful attempts to gain public political support "He spent much of his early career twitting John Stuart, the Earl of Bute, and learning how to use his talent for ridicule to gain international fame."*

Erickson draws distinct parallels between Wilkes and his 'populist' paper The North Briton and Trump's propaganda machine of 21st century social and mainstream media.

"Every issue of "The North Briton" was crowded with scandalous rumors and insults. Lord Egremont was "a weak, passionate, and insolent secretary of state," and Secretary of the Treasury Samuel Martin was "the most treacherous, base, selfish, mean, abject, low-lived and dirty fellow, that ever wriggled himself into a secretaryship."*

Years of cynical republican leadership assaults on immigration, women's rights, voting rights, planned parenthood, LGBT rights, climate change, and gun legislation - the ugly politics of us and them gave Trump his rebel yell.

Purveying the lie of President Obama' s illegitimacy has been the disturbing toolkit for Trump' s populist appeal demonizing American diversity of race culture and religion as a threat to some bygone white Christian way of life. The Trump ' brand' dominates the 24 hr news cycle through low discourse, sensationalized, divisive, xenophobic and dangerously nationalistic commentary. Whether MSNBC, CNN, FOX, talk radio or even the ' liberal leaning' New York Times, all are brought to you by Shell and Viagra. Trump' s self-promoting policy, unconstitutional on it' s face, has been given exponential largess by the corporate medias premise of newsworthiness. The media' s thin and feckless scrutiny only emboldens Trump' s unapologetic advance of his own fame and fortune at any cost. But this has a cost a cost of human life and human dignity in America and the world. So it is important to give the republican party their due at the ballot box in November for giving the American people the treason of Trump for President.

to inquire/ purchase email: mepottery@cox.net



*Jack Lynch https://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/summer03/wilkes.cfm
TRUMP ESQ.
18th century Staffordshire white salt glaze stoneware with artists ceramic transfer prints


TRUMP CHINA
Off the shelf Starbucks 'made in usa' mugs with artists ceramic transfer print and luster enamel decoration


REPUBLICAN POTTY 2016
Cream colored earthenware with ceramic transfer prints and pink luster


LEECH JAR 2016
Cream colored earthenware, thrown with ceramic transfer prints and pink luster






References:

1) The Able Doctor London Magazine 1774
2) John Wilkes Esq.(uire) 1763 by William Hogarth
5) Chinese Export Porcelain Bowl 1764-70
3) A Picturesque View of the State of the Nation 1778
4) Creamware Dish with American Revolution Cartoon