Presidential Dinnerware Project
In 2005 I began using decals on my pottery. My foray into political pottery began simultaneously. The first political figure I put on a pot was Abe Lincoln. I also began to delve into a line of decorative pottery depicting poppies, also tied to my political stance as a conscientious objector to war. In a sense both designs of these bodies of work (political portraits and floral wares with poppies) derive from my value system and desire to make a political statement on tableware.
At the same time Doris Kearns Goodwin published her book “Team of Rivals”, a biography of Lincoln and his White House team. After reading this book, I moved quickly into the Robert Caro epic biography of Lyndon Johnson. I found a portrait photo of LBJ in an old newspaper uncovered while sorting through some of my grandfather’s old possessions. This image made it onto a mug as my next political figure.
Not long after this Barack Obama began his run to the White House, and it didn’t take long to add Obama mugs to my repertoire. I made my first trip to the American Craft Council wholesale/retail show in February 2009. Obama had just been elected, I was starting my career as a studio potter, and I had successfully implemented ceramic decals into a production capable line of tableware. I brought this new work to the ACC show and sold out my political wares, and received an “Award of Excellence” from the American Craft Council, specifically noting the playful energy of this political work.
After my experience at the show it was hard to avoid pursuing political pottery a bit more. I had requests for other presidents…JFK? George Washington? Reagan? It became a compelling challenge to pursue creating a full set. And, as a young entrepreneur there was a business appeal as well. At that time a full set meant 44 place settings, each with a dinner plate, salad plate, bowl, and mug. Not a small endeavor. I pursued it slowly while also reading biographies of many presidents along the way. It became a process in educating myself about the political history of our country. I read Candace Millard’s books about James Garfield and Theodore Roosevelt. I read several more of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s books and all of Robert Caro’s books. And also biographies about John Adams, JFK, Bobby Kennedy, Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Ulysses Grant, Jimmy Carter, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harvey Milk, and many more.
This line of political pottery dovetailed with my interest in educating myself about the world I live in, the policies that govern it, and the way personalities drive our political system. I began to understand more of the complexities and innate racism that exist within our political system.
Early in 2015, leading up to the presidential election that would happen later that year I was invited by Leslie Ferrin to have a solo show of political works at her gallery on the campus of MassMOCA. Brooke and I decided to collaborate on a series of works depicting the Supreme Court Justices. At that time, the supreme court was less a focus of the 24-hour news cycle, justices weren’t widely known, and this seemed like an opportunity for both self education, and broad education. Little did we know that all was about to change.
In the midst of creating the work for this show, Antonin Scalia died, Obama nominated Merrick Garland to take his place, Mitch McConnel blocked the nomination, and ultimately Donald Trump was elected. It felt like this project of mine that began as a functional craft challenge (can I make a 160 piece dinnerware set that matches?) and a self education challenge (what can I learn about US presidential history?) had suddenly become a part of the political resistance.
I began to get so much more feedback on the work. Some critics didn’t like my political persuasion, some didn’t like the portraits I chose of certain politicians. I’ve been told I’m too conservative, or too liberal, or that because I put a certain politician on a mug I must believe in 100% of their policies. I’ve also had mugs go viral…I sold 500 mugs the day RBG died, even though I’d been making them for years before that. The wife of Facebook’s founder, Pricilla Chan, re-posted my Anthony Fauci mug in the midst of Covid. Current transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg drinks out of my JFK mug. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has a set of Fetterman mugs. The National Archives carries my mugs in their gift shop.
In the years since 2016 this line of political pottery continues to feel more like a part of the resistance. But I’ve also felt politics change. I’ve felt a shift in how the work is either loved or reviled, with little in between. There’s more assumptions about politicians with less accurate historical context. It’s a tenuous task to keep up with a politician's political career. Consider New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his quick ascension to social justice pandemic hero, and his even quicker descent into post pandemic alleged sexual assaulter and mismanager of government funds.
It became clear that my line of presidential pottery was inadequate. Shortly after exhibiting the work at Ferrin Contemporary I embarked on a second, complementary set of 44 place settings depicting people who worked towards social justice during each presidential era. This became a second phase of self education. Who were the movers and shakers of each presidential era that helped shape our country but weren’t ever elected president?
I finished this companion set and was fortunate to exhibit both sets together at ArtLink Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, and again at the Krasl Art Museum in St. Joseph, Michigan in 2022. And I was able to exhibit a small subset of the collection at the Valentine Museum in Richmond, VA in partnership with Ferrin Contemporary’s “Our America, Who’s America?” exhibition.
As I enter into the era of the 2nd Trump presidency it feels like the presidential side of this political dinnerware set has run its course. I’m no longer feeling a need to perpetrate the portraits of America’s past and present presidents. While there is no doubt we’ve had presidents who have accomplished great things…Theodore Rooselvelt’s national park program, LBJ’s domestic policies, Jimmy Carter’s post-presidency legacy all come to mind. It’s also abundantly clear that our past and present presidents come with significant baggage that I’m ready to leave to others to document.
In that vein, I’m repurposing the presidential dinnerware set. Quite literally I’m taking a do-over. I’ll keep the “People’s Dinnerware” and perhaps continue to update it with a mover and shaker from each ongoing presidential era.
But the presidential set will get turned into something that sparks more joy for me. In recent years I’ve worked with Brooke to design a line of dinnerware depicting zinnia flowers, inspired by the flower garden at our home and studio that we keep together. It's symbolic to me of our shared partnership, 22+ years of marriage, and mutual affection for our natural environment.
I’m putting flower decals over each president’s head. The same floral decals used on the original presidential dinnerware. Then after refiring I’ll dip each piece in glaze and fire again. This will set up a floral background, prepare the soil if you will, for brightly colored zinnia flower decals to take root.
As I think about my work, and role, as an artist in a new presidential era I’m completely uncertain what to do. But this feels like beginning an act of resistance, and also an intentional act of putting out joy and color, into a world that has most recently felt significantly darker and more bleak. This is my first step.