Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw
Soothing Desk Fountain II (Julian Assange's Desk in the Ecuadorian Embassy)
2018
ceramics and mixed media
15 x 14 x 13.5 inches (38 x 35.5 x 34 cm)

In this "soothing desk fountain," the piece miniaturizes the controversial Julian Assange, relying on lifestyle magazine visits to depict his office in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. The "office" is paired with a famous Russian fountain of Peterhof palace, referencing the debated Russian influence in the 2016 American election and Assange's Wikileaks. The miniature piece also poses as a "soothing desk fountain", pairing questionable actions with a contrasting base reflective of the push and pull in contemporary political turmoil and everyday mundane life.