Strawberry Plate 2012

Curator: Arlene Shechet's "Strawberry Plate" presents an intriguing interplay of forms and textures. The glazed ceramic, measuring about 10 inches in diameter, strikes me as stark, almost clinical. Editor: Clinical, yes, but also vaguely disturbing. The stains on the plate, coupled with the organic, almost intestinal form, suggest decay or some kind of biological process gone awry. Curator: Indeed, those dark stains provide a compelling counterpoint to the smooth, immaculate surface of the plate itself. Note how the artist disrupts the conventional associations of a domestic object with these gestural markings. Editor: It’s hard to ignore the unsettling symbolism. The plate, traditionally a symbol of nourishment, is here sullied, perhaps reflecting anxieties about purity and contamination. Curator: A compelling point. The formal tension between the pristine and the defiled asks us to consider these dualities. Editor: An unnerving yet compelling piece.