WRATH OF POSEIDON
This teapot is the embodiment of the ocean’s anger with humanity’s centuries of abuse. The finial represents Poseidon standing on rippling waves of the lathe-turned lid of Thurmanite (a material I developed made of layered recycled maps and plant-based resin). The body of the teapot was created by welding pewter disks and spinning the form on the lathe. Its distressed appearance is to resemble damaged and diseased fish scales. The foldformed elements perfectly convey a sense of movement through natural and organic forms.
This piece is part of a recent series of artworks where I have been incorporating meticulously hand-painted miniatures with my metalwork to help tell the story of the piece. My newest body of work, the “Morality Series,” is based on the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues. It features the most narrative approach I have taken in my work in many years. Previously, my work has more subtly addressed themes of societal responsibility, especially related to environmental impact and capitalism as an essentially exploitive system. The events of 2020 pushed me to be more direct and explicit with my content.