2008-02-23T14:04:00.001-08:00

“If we consign ourselves to the role of being complicit with any argument from authority we deny our basic responsibilities in a democracy.” *

I am drawn to the study of history and the human experience. The objects I make are manifestations of the inner compass activated by my explorations into our controversial past and present.

Something true left unsaid obscures the bigger picture. I feel a strong personal responsibility to exercise my exceptional right as an American to speak freely, and contribute to the ongoing collective effort to figure out what the heck is really going on.

Translating my ideas into ceramic objects requires the input of the clay, hand, and firing. This collaboration often reaches greater conclusions than the original idea. The unrivaled archival quality of ceramics assures any conclusion I reach will retain its resonance.

* Dale Ritterbusch, Vietnam War veteran and contributor to tile project, in War, Literature, and the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities, Special Double Ed. 2007. Vol. 19, Nos. 1 & 2. Dept. of English and Fine Arts, U.S.Air Force Academy. Colorado Springs, CO

Statement of Intent