Pa. German Stove Plate c. 1942

This stove plate was made by Charles Von Urban, sometime between 1855 and 1995, but it looks like it could be from further back than that. The plate shows a man on a horse blowing a trumpet and also a bird overhead. I'm imagining Von Urban working on this, pressing into the material with real purpose. There is an interesting layering and depth, almost like he’s carving out a story – or a song. It reminds me of a bas relief. You know, how the artist digs in, and then builds out, so it comes towards you. It makes me think about process, which is so important to my work. This plate really embodies that. It is about mark making, time, and the conversation between artist and material. The image is not perfect, it is rough. There is a conversation happening between Charles Von Urban and a longer history of making, a beautiful exchange across time and place. We are lucky to be able to witness it!