Cup Plate c. 1936

Helmut Hiatt made this cup plate, sometime between 1855 and 1995. I love the monochrome decoration which gives the plate a graphic sensibility. You can see the artist's hand, and almost feel it, in the way he's built up the various elements of the scene; the cityscape, the figures fishing, and the surrounding nature. The surface is smooth, but the eye can sense a slight texture, as if the image has been built up over time, mark by mark. Look at the border, for example. The floral pattern has a kind of obsessive quality which is both comforting and just a little bit unsettling. I'm always drawn to work like this, where a repeated motif becomes a meditation. I'm reminded of the work of outsider artists like Henry Darger who also had an ability to see and represent the world in their own unique way. It’s a reminder that art is always a conversation, echoing and answering across time.