Dinner Plates Analysis

Art Criticism of Dinner Plates
I went to the Bradbury Museum in the Fowler Center and chose the Dinner Plates which was made by Delita Martin in 2016. She used Lino crayons, Stabilo pencil, and 200 ceramic plates. The artist does not specify the region where it was made. The first thing I noticed was how many portrait plates there were because it fascinated me how someone could draw all of them. The portraits of women give an atmosphere of empowerment, but the table in the center gives a visual effect of a group of women sitting at the kitchen table quilting and gossiping.
Martin used the principle of variety and the elements of texture and size. She used various size plates from small to large as well as the size of the heads.. She also varied the ages of women from babies to elderly women. The plates had various texture, for example some of the older plates had some spots and off white tint while other plates were spotless and clean. Some of the portraits looked darker than the others based on their
skin color. Martin used the Stabilo pencil for the skin and the litho crayon for the hair. The artist used an illusion of 3-dimensions with lights and shadows by using the cross-hatching method. She left some parts white where the light was hitting on the women's face. All the clothing and accessories were less detailed and the artist left them white. The emphasis is the face and hair. The label tells the viewers what the work is about symbolically and the artist’s intent. The company of women are reflection of love, beauty, faith, wisdom, and power. These are women are either her relatives or friends. These women are brought together to share their stories. The plates represent provision, survival, and good fortune. These plates have been nurtured, passed down, cast aside, and separated and sold. The plates and table supports the meaning of how important of a role, women play in the homes.

I think the work has artistic value because it is beautiful but it also conveys a message about how women’s role in society is just as important as men’s role.
I feel like the artist could possibly be a feminist because all the portraits are female. The three dimensional of the face and the space of the room balance out really well. Even though all the women on the plates are African Americans, they still represent all the women despite their ethnicity or color. I like the fact that some of the plates are worn out but have survived because it shows the viewer that women are strong in their own way and are willing to put others ahead of themselves. It makes the women viewers proud that they are a woman. I think the realistic drawings catches people's eyes and make them want to look at individual portraits. The different expressions makes each of them unique and humanistic. Overall, the artwork successfully depicts what her message is about through her
artworks.