Industrial Waste Teapot

Copied Wesley Anderegg, Industrial Waste Teapot, 1999, glazed earthenware, overall: 13 x 7 7⁄8 x 6 3⁄8 in. (33.0 x 20.0 x 16.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Martha Connell and Michael Davis, 2000.86A-B

Artwork Details

Title
Industrial Waste Teapot
Artist
Date
1999
Location
Dimensions
overall: 13 x 7 7⁄8 x 6 3⁄8 in. (33.0 x 20.0 x 16.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Martha Connell and Michael Davis
Mediums
Mediums Description
glazed earthenware
Classifications
Subjects
  • Object — written matter — book
  • Dress — accessory — protective gear
  • Figure — fragment — skull
  • Figure group
Object Number
2000.86A-B
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2000.86A-B

Artwork Description

Wesley Anderegg expresses his concern for the environment in Industrial Waste Teapot. Four figures wearing gas masks sit on top of what appears to be a corroding metal barrel. Each figure holds a book, a bomb, a Geiger counter, or a bug sprayer. The handle and spout have been molded to look like a pipe, while the lid of the pot is capped with a skull and bones. By placing these symbols on a pot that holds a liquid we will ingest, Anderegg conveys the idea that pollution not only contaminates the air around us but also makes its way into our bodies.