Plate - "Park Theatre, NY" c. 1936

Helmut Hiatt made this plate of the Park Theatre in New York, and like a lot of art, it’s about framing. Here, it’s literally framed with a garland of oak leaves and acorns around the edge! It’s fascinating how the same scene can change depending on where you put it. I'm not sure how it was made, maybe transfers, the image is a stark monochromatic picture, like something from a newspaper. Look at the way he's captured the texture of the leaves, giving them depth and movement with simple shading. The plate is so old, and yet, it feels so modern. You can see the echoes of other artists who played with images on plates, like Picasso! Thinking about the utility of plates makes you wonder about art's purpose. It’s not just something to look at; it’s something to use, something to live with, it's a conversation. And that, I think, is what art is all about: conversations.