Pa. German Stove Plate c. 1936

This Stove Plate was made by Elmer G. Anderson, sometime between 1855 and 1995. The gray tones give the picture a melancholic, antique feel. I can imagine Anderson working with the material, the pressure of his hands shaping the figures. The plate is divided into two registers, one stacked on top of the other. I see soldiers in old-timey hats and coats, and then a hunting scene with animals. How did Anderson decide to put them together? Perhaps he was thinking about the relationship between man and nature, or about the cycles of life and death. Each scene has a different atmosphere, but they both speak to the human experience. This is what's so amazing to me about folk art – how it captures something essential about what it means to be human, in all its messy, beautiful complexity. It reminds me of art brut and outsider art. Ultimately, what strikes me most about this stove plate is how Anderson found a way to express something deeply personal. It's a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places and that artists will always find ways to create and connect.