Pa. German Deep Dish c. 1939

Fritz Boehmer's 'Pa. German Deep Dish' is a watercolor painting that captures the essence of folk art with its earth-tone palette of browns and greens. I can only imagine Boehmer hunched over his work, carefully applying each stroke. There's a deliberate quality to the circular design and symmetrical arrangement. See how the central spiral and leaves push out from the diamond? The rim is decorated with green arches, each marked with black paint. These repeated shapes remind me of the work of other painters such as Matthew Wong, who also uses patterning to draw the viewer in. Boehmer probably knew of other artists using similar techniques. It's fascinating to think about how artists across time and cultures engage in this silent dialogue, borrowing and reinventing ideas. This artwork, like many others, invites us into that conversation.