Pa. German Plate c. 1937

This Pa. German Plate was re-interpreted by Yolande Delasser using watercolor on paper. I love the color palette, it’s earthy and has a muted, almost folk-art quality. The surface has a delicate texture, like it’s whispering a story of history. The paint application is transparent, which is like seeing the light shine through time itself. I want to focus on that central image of the eagle, it's a bit wonky, with a certain charm that only comes from the hand of someone working outside of a strict academic tradition. The phrase "Liberty for TA Jackson" is emblazoned on the banner. I’m guessing this plate is a nod to Pennsylvania’s German heritage, mixed up with an unexpected reference to Andrew Jackson. You can see a connection to folk art traditions here, but with a quirky sensibility, almost like a nod to outsider art, with that embrace of ambiguity and multiple interpretations.