The inspiration for this series is ancient Greek ostraka; ceramic shards used as ballots; a safeguard against tyranny. Democracy was in its infancy in Athens 5th century B.C. and eligible voters (adult male citizens who were land owners) scratched names into the shards of those deemed to be potential tyrants and a danger to democracy. If a person received 6,000 “votes” they were banished from Athens for 10 years. The term “ostracism” is derived from these ostraka. Below are ostraka cast against Aristeides, Themistokles, Kimon, and Perikles, 5th century B.C.

Image from: http://www.agathe.gr/democracy/ostracism.html

The first piece of my Judgement of Shards series “Losers” was made in 2016 and displayed at the Solano Community College Art Gallery right before the 2016 election. It contains incised shards with names of all US presidential candidates through 2012 who lost their election. Next to the vessel clay shards were available for gallery visitors to cast their own anti-vote by scratching a name. The shards surrounding the vessel are their ballots.