This piece is made with woodfired ceramic
Size: 3.5” H x 4” W x 4.5” D
Shipping within the United States: $15
Proceeds from the sale of this object will benefit the artist, and Artaxis, a 501(c)3 non-profit art organization. Please contact us at contactartaxis@gmail.com if you would like to ship this object out of the US, or if you have any questions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Artist Statement:
The “Bunker Series” work is inspired by recent trips to Denmark and Iceland, where I was able to visit several sites where abandoned World War II concrete bunkers still exist. The bunkers outside of Skagen, Denmark sit right on the beach, some of them listing on their sides and sinking into the sand while they struggle to withstand the test of time. The bunkers I visited outside of Reykjavik are being overtaken by vegetation and the forest. Seeing these monolithic structures being consumed by the land and the sea, I was struck by the simplicity of their destruction. Just earth, water, and time and these powerful features of war, designed to be impenetrable, permanent, and battle ready, are being overtaken.
In his book “Bunker Archaeology”, French cultural theorist and philosopher, Paul Virilio writes that “However impressive the ramparts may be, they owe their value to being constantly and totally manned and occupied.” The bunkers on the beaches outside of Skagen and the hillsides outside of Reykjavik have long since been vacated and their purpose has disappeared along with their occupants.
In this work, I appreciate the range of metaphors the bunker can encompass. On the one hand, they are objects of aggression, but on the other hand they are objects of protection. As Paul Virilio states, their power (and purpose) is owed to human occupation. When the reasons for their occupation become obsolete, their power vanishes. The socio-political metaphors in this work use the bunker to reference deeply rooted ideas that can seem immovable. The bunkers in this work precariously sit on, and are sinking into, a landscape of smaller fused parts, thereby continuing the reference to changing perspectives. As ideological landscapes change, so too can the foundations of those ideas. Like the sand and water slowly overtaking the bunkers in Denmark and Iceland, one-time powerful ideologies are overtaken by shifting thought processes.
Bio:
Brian Harper is a Professor of Fine Art and Ceramics Area Head at Indiana University Southeast. Brian is also the Founder and Executive Director of Artaxis, a 501(c)3 non-profit art organization that engages the ceramics community through promotional, educational, and networking programs while celebrating diverse artistic practices and being a resource of aesthetic values. He manages Artaxis.org, which hosts over 10,000 images of artwork by over 1000 Artaxis members worldwide. He holds a BFA from Northern Arizona University and an MA and MFA from the University of Iowa. His artwork has been exhibited in over 100 national and international exhibitions. He lives in New Albany, Indiana, with his wife, Tiffany Carbonneau, and their daughter June.
Brian currently serves as Executive Director for Artaxis.org.
Check out Brian's works on: https://artaxis.org/artist/brian-harper/