Pa. German Pie Plate 1937

This gouache pie plate design was made by Eugene Shellady, sometime in the late 20th century, on wove paper. It feels like Shellady was having a good time, letting loose with the ochres, greens and reds. I wonder if he was thinking of his elders when he made it, perhaps trying to honor the traditions of Pennsylvania German folk art while also doing his own thing? There’s a kind of joyful exuberance here, a mix of control and abandon. The figures have these stylized features—the woman’s delicate dress, the man’s jaunty stance—and they’re framed by this decorative border that almost feels like a hug. It reminds me of how art-making is like a conversation across generations, artists echoing and riffing off each other’s ideas. It's about embracing the messy, the imperfect, and finding beauty in the unexpected.