Pa. German Earthenware Bowl c. 1938

Editor: So, here we have Jessica Price’s "Pa. German Earthenware Bowl," created around 1938, rendered in watercolor and ceramic. It's a detailed study of what appears to be a lidded bowl, plus two insets of decorative elements. What really strikes me is how the artist focuses on texture, line and form, yet seemingly flattening the three-dimensionality through watercolor, making it look almost like a technical drawing. What catches your eye? Curator: It's compelling to analyze how Price reduces form to line. Note the strategic repetition of geometric motifs and the almost clinical way she captures light and shadow, which both highlight and flatten form. Observe how the geometric forms, like the triangles, interlock and play across the curves, thereby drawing the eye in and around. To what effect do you believe Price used this limited chromatic scale? Editor: Well, restricting the color to similar reddish browns emphasizes the formal relationships, making the design details almost seem like an exercise in pattern. Were other ceramic pieces like this, during this time, treated in a similar analytical fashion? Curator: Consider this image as an object and document. Price is deliberately deconstructing the bowl into constituent parts to truly investigate structure. This is what foregrounds the visual, that design of triangles, curved forms, handles... How do the textures interplay with one another? Editor: It feels as though the watercolor washes highlight texture while the intricate linework emphasizes form, giving the work a tactile dimension. I guess the artist might be focusing on shape and pattern instead of the usefulness of the bowl. Curator: Exactly. The function of the bowl almost becomes secondary to the intricate exploration of form and surface, wouldn’t you agree? It's about its artfulness above all. This examination has really changed my understanding of Price’s artistic goals! Editor: Absolutely! I was so focused on its documentary quality but analyzing its structural choices shows how Price's work is rooted in formal analysis.