Pa. German Plate 1938

Eugene Shellady, who lived a long life from 1855 to 1995, made this Pa. German Plate, though we don't know exactly when. It gives me a jolt, this plate; it's got that folk-art spirit, with the freedom to bend the rules of perspective and color. The ochre ground is so warm, like a kitchen on a sunny day, and the stylized flowers with their coppery petals reach out like hands. See how the paint is laid on kind of flat, no fancy blending or shading? It’s honest, you know? Like the artist is saying, "Here it is, plain and simple." Then you have the date, 1832, floating above the initials J and H, adding this layer of personal history, making it more intimate. It reminds me a little of Forrest Bess. Bess was another artist who wasn't afraid to be himself, who followed his own strange vision. And isn't that what art is all about?