Part 2

So I really got into the dinosaurs…

This is a continuation of my time in Shangyu, China, at the Shangyu International Celadon Center and this is how I made the works you see below:

Everybody smoked in China and there were ashtrays everywhere, especially in restaurants which was where I went to gather them. I loved blending in with the locals and I felt at home since everybody was really welcoming.

The plastic dinosaurs on top of the ashtrays are part of my Anthropocene Series. The Anthropocene is a term that describes the significant impact of human activities on the Earth’s environment, suggesting that humans have become a dominant force shaping the planet’s biophysical systems.

It is not yet officially recognized as a geological epoch but is widely used in scientific and popular discourse.

I went around to various restaurants while I was in the town of Shangyu, and asked all of the owners if they’d give me some of their crockery for my sculptures. I originally offered to buy them, but everyone was really nice and were happy to help. I asked them all to sign them on the undersides since they themselves were now co-artists of the sculpture I was making. (Noone spoke English btw, so it was really fun).