[Source: Mervyn Gers Ceramics]
Cape Town-based Ceramic artist Mervyn Gers has never been afraid to ruffle a few feathers, and with his latest project, “DUMP ON DICTATORS”, he is reclaiming the humble toilet as a provocative medium for social commentary.
One thing is guaranteed, supporters of President Trump are going to sh*t themselves over this.
Drawing from history, psychology, and contemporary issues, the project hopes to “explore themes of control, rebellion, and authoritarianism”.
Gers says he began researching authoritarianism when South Africa’s bans on alcohol and cigarette sales – disproportionately enforced against vulnerable communities – sparked debates about civil liberties versus public safety.
His work examines the global rise of authoritarianism, drawing parallels between historical events, such as the Industrial Revolution and World War II, and the digital age’s manipulation of inequalities.
“The Industrial Revolution’s shift to mechanised labour disrupted communities and social dynamics. Elites used media to suppress dissent while movements glorified progress or exposed injustices,” Gers explains.
“That same pattern exists today, with the digital economy reshaping power and control.”
The idea of using toilets as a medium emerged during the early days of lockdown when panic buying led to a frenzy over toilet paper. It was also influenced by the 2017 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum incident when Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s functional 18-carat gold toilet was offered to Donald Trump after the White House had requested a Van Gogh.
“I have a deep-rooted reaction to authoritarianism, particularly in light of the pandemic. In response to South Africa’s strict COVID-19 lockdown measures, I was frustrated and infuriated,” says Gers.
“The authoritarian overreach of the South African government during the lockdown, marked by draconian restrictions on supermarket sales, beach and dog-walking bans, and prohibitions on alcohol and cigarette sales, deepened my sense of discontent.”
Added to this was the global frenzy of hoarding and physical altercations over toilet paper – often prioritised above basic food supplies – an intriguing phenomenon that caught my attention,” says Gers.
“Some people instinctively obey authority, while others challenge it. Resistance isn’t just emotional – it’s often a justified response to excessive control, especially when decisions lack transparency or public debate, as was the case in South Africa’s lockdown.”
The economic fallout was staggering. South Africa lost 1.5 million jobs during the COVID-19 lockdown, far surpassing the 600,000 jobs lost in the 2008/2009 financial crisis.
“Our government’s rigid enforcement of lockdowns disregarded economic realities and mental health impacts,” Gers says. He describes the authoritarian pandemic response as a “virus” of its own.
“COVID-19 might as well have been called the ‘Authoritarian Virus’—a global push for control.”
Today, international institutions shape national policies without democratic accountability. Public health measures should never strip people of autonomy without open discussion. Moments of crisis should never suppress critical thinking.”
Gers spent four years developing this project, meticulously refining every detail. The process involved extensive research, precise artwork assembly, and the creation of printed transfers designed to resemble traditional etchings.
Countless experiments with printing techniques and multiple firing tests were conducted to perfect the final product, particularly to prevent the porcelain from cracking.
Each piece in “DUMP ON DICTATORS” series is the result of extensive experimentation, continuous colour testing and meticulous attention to detail.
It took literally years to master the unusual and complex challenges of slow firing, combining mediums such as 24-carat gold lustre and on-glaze silkscreen printing, and the skills involved in working on such a large scale. Since pigments can change in the kiln, Gers conducted hundreds of tests to achieve the required tonalities and definition, and to successfully apply flat transfer images to curved areas.
In 2023, he travelled to Stoke-on-Trent to source the ideal cobalt blue on-glaze, using a silk-screen process to replicate the distinctive colours of 18th- and 19th-century “Chinese export porcelain” once traded to North America.
This series is a collaboration with artist Ellalou O’Meara, whose intricate etching techniques add rich layers of storytelling to each piece. A former art lecturer at both the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town, O’Meara studied printmaking in Antwerp in the 1960s and holds a master’s degree in fine arts.
“It turned out these ideas had historic precedents — I learned during my research that after Napoleon’s 1815 defeat, chamber pots with caricatures of his face and slogans like ‘The enemy of mankind’ were produced in the UK and Germany and widely sold in Europe,” he adds.
Along with the toilet set to be auctioned, Gers has created a chamber pot that conveys the same message. Both pieces are one-of-a-kind and will never be reproduced.
Donald Trump’s face seems to be everywhere these days, so we guess it was just a matter of time before he appeared in a loo near you. However, something tells us this look will not be found at Mar-a-Lago anytime soon.
[Source: Mervyn Gers Ceramics]
Cape Town Ceramic Artist Mervyn Gers Stirs The Pot With ‘Dump On Dictators’
[Source: Mervyn Gers Ceramics]
Cape Town-based Ceramic artist Mervyn Gers has never been afraid to ruffle a few feathers, and with his latest project, “DUMP ON DICTATORS”, he is reclaiming the humble toilet as a provocative medium for social commentary.
One thing is guaranteed, supporters of President Trump are going to sh*t themselves over this.
Drawing from history, psychology, and contemporary issues, the project hopes to “explore themes of control, rebellion, and authoritarianism”.
Gers says he began researching authoritarianism when South Africa’s bans on alcohol and cigarette sales – disproportionately enforced against vulnerable communities – sparked debates about civil liberties versus public safety.
His work examines the global rise of authoritarianism, drawing parallels between historical events, such as the Industrial Revolution and World War II, and the digital age’s manipulation of inequalities.
“The Industrial Revolution’s shift to mechanised labour disrupted communities and social dynamics. Elites used media to suppress dissent while movements glorified progress or exposed injustices,” Gers explains.
The idea of using toilets as a medium emerged during the early days of lockdown when panic buying led to a frenzy over toilet paper. It was also influenced by the 2017 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum incident when Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s functional 18-carat gold toilet was offered to Donald Trump after the White House had requested a Van Gogh.
“I have a deep-rooted reaction to authoritarianism, particularly in light of the pandemic. In response to South Africa’s strict COVID-19 lockdown measures, I was frustrated and infuriated,” says Gers.
Added to this was the global frenzy of hoarding and physical altercations over toilet paper – often prioritised above basic food supplies – an intriguing phenomenon that caught my attention,” says Gers.
The economic fallout was staggering. South Africa lost 1.5 million jobs during the COVID-19 lockdown, far surpassing the 600,000 jobs lost in the 2008/2009 financial crisis.
“Our government’s rigid enforcement of lockdowns disregarded economic realities and mental health impacts,” Gers says. He describes the authoritarian pandemic response as a “virus” of its own.
Today, international institutions shape national policies without democratic accountability. Public health measures should never strip people of autonomy without open discussion. Moments of crisis should never suppress critical thinking.”
Gers spent four years developing this project, meticulously refining every detail. The process involved extensive research, precise artwork assembly, and the creation of printed transfers designed to resemble traditional etchings.
Countless experiments with printing techniques and multiple firing tests were conducted to perfect the final product, particularly to prevent the porcelain from cracking.
Each piece in “DUMP ON DICTATORS” series is the result of extensive experimentation, continuous colour testing and meticulous attention to detail.
It took literally years to master the unusual and complex challenges of slow firing, combining mediums such as 24-carat gold lustre and on-glaze silkscreen printing, and the skills involved in working on such a large scale. Since pigments can change in the kiln, Gers conducted hundreds of tests to achieve the required tonalities and definition, and to successfully apply flat transfer images to curved areas.
In 2023, he travelled to Stoke-on-Trent to source the ideal cobalt blue on-glaze, using a silk-screen process to replicate the distinctive colours of 18th- and 19th-century “Chinese export porcelain” once traded to North America.
This series is a collaboration with artist Ellalou O’Meara, whose intricate etching techniques add rich layers of storytelling to each piece. A former art lecturer at both the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town, O’Meara studied printmaking in Antwerp in the 1960s and holds a master’s degree in fine arts.
“It turned out these ideas had historic precedents — I learned during my research that after Napoleon’s 1815 defeat, chamber pots with caricatures of his face and slogans like ‘The enemy of mankind’ were produced in the UK and Germany and widely sold in Europe,” he adds.
Along with the toilet set to be auctioned, Gers has created a chamber pot that conveys the same message. Both pieces are one-of-a-kind and will never be reproduced.
Donald Trump’s face seems to be everywhere these days, so we guess it was just a matter of time before he appeared in a loo near you. However, something tells us this look will not be found at Mar-a-Lago anytime soon.
[Source: Mervyn Gers Ceramics]
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