Pie Plate 1935 - 1942

Curator: Here we have Jules Lefevere’s "Pie Plate," a watercolor drawing created between 1935 and 1942. What strikes you first? Editor: There's something about the subdued palette, all these earth tones, that gives it a nostalgic warmth. And this swirling line drawing within... it's almost hypnotic, like watching the last dregs of coffee settle. Curator: That swirling motif, snaking around the center of the plate, is central. Lefevere repeats the image in multiple views as well. What do you make of his depiction choices? Editor: Notice how he uses subtle tonal variations and thin, delicate lines to delineate form? The brown hues emphasize the materiality—suggesting fired clay. Plus, presenting the plate from multiple perspectives provides a comprehensive, almost technical understanding. Curator: Yes, it’s a bit like an architect’s elevation, a blueprint even! The watercolor medium lends a certain softness that contrasts with the precision of the rendering. Editor: Absolutely, and that tension is critical. Watercolor's inherent fluidity introduces chance. Lefevere walks a tightrope between objectivity and subjectivity here. Is this merely a study of form or something more resonant? Curator: I sense he's after a specific kind of beauty—the beauty of everyday objects elevated by artistic attention. Maybe a meditation on the art in utility? I can almost smell my grandmother's pies baking when I look at it. Editor: Yes, utility is important to consider here, absolutely. This pie plate, in its formal design, reveals the embedded structural features crucial to all good pie plates. We’ve got proper curvature of the interior space to prevent leaking, and then adequate diameter for a standard pie filling amount, and the perfect height… Curator: He invites us to see past the functional, toward something enduring. It's amazing how he captures a specific time so elegantly and personally with watercolors! I'll certainly have my pie on it... someday. Editor: In the end, "Pie Plate" leaves one considering how formalism marries expression; function blends into form. Lefevere invites us to investigate our world's materiality to unearth art and consider new perspectives.