Pie Plate 1936

Curator: Looking at this piece, titled "Pie Plate," by Eugene Shellady in 1936, I'm immediately drawn to its rustic charm. Editor: It has an amateur but endearing quality, doesn’t it? I notice it's watercolor and coloured-pencil on earthenware, giving it this fascinatingly tactile presence despite being a visual depiction. It's an artwork ABOUT a material object, not necessarily a functional material object itself. Curator: Absolutely. These 'pie plates' were central to Pennsylvania German folk art, serving as both functional items and canvases for cultural expression. Editor: The inscription looping the central image is quite noticeable; it looks to me to be referencing an early, Pennsylvania Dutch origin of production and material usage. Curator: Precisely. These plates weren't just utilitarian; they communicated social messages. This plate, though a later recreation, invokes that tradition. Notice the couples and musician depicted here? It speaks of community, courtship, and perhaps prosperity. They are referencing a similar plate created in 1786 whose reference to couples gives us a possible date that corresponds to the couple dancing, courting or partnering. Editor: It's the kind of image that romanticizes rural labor while simultaneously highlighting the performative aspects of social roles within that labor. Curator: True. The amateur style adds a layer of authenticity; it’s meant to be accessible, connecting directly to its intended audience through shared values. These images offer insights into cultural beliefs of the day by providing documentation and presentation of these communities for generations. Editor: Though 'pie plate' might seem like a simple descriptor, it signifies so much more—labor, tradition, and cultural identity are all baked into that simple label. Curator: It certainly pushes us to consider the value we place on both functional craft and folk expressions. Editor: It's a gentle reminder that art is deeply interwoven with life's material realities and social constructions.