Sam Francis

Untitled, 1984

106.7 X 73 inch

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What is a plate?

What is a plate?

A plate is a broad, primarily flat vessel used for serving food, but it can also serve ceremonial or decorative purposes. Plates are typically circular, though they can be any shape and made from various water-resistant materials. Most plates have raised edges, either by curving upward or featuring a wider lip. Vessels without a raised edge or with a more rounded profile are often considered bowls or dishes, while very large, plate-shaped vessels might also be classified as dishes.

Artwork by Stephan Balkenhol
Surrealism

Surrealism began in the 1920s as an art and literary movement with the goal of revealing the unconscious mind and unleashing the imagination by exploring unusual and dream-like imagery. Influenced by Sigmund Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis, Surrealist artists and writers sought to bring the unconscious into rational life, blurring the lines between reality and dreams. The movement aimed to challenge conventional perceptions and express the irrational aspects of the human experience.

Lowbrow

Lowbrow is a derogatory term that refers to certain forms of popular culture. It describes an art movement that began in Los Angeles in the 1970s. The term lowbrow originally refers to a person with little intellectual or refined taste. The Lowbrow art movement, also known as Pop Surrealism, blends elements of underground comics, punk music, hot rod culture, and other subcultures, often with a sense of humor and irony.

Body Art

Body art involves creating art directly on or with the human body. Common forms include body piercings and tattoos, but it also encompasses practices like branding, scarification, scalping, body painting, full-body tattoos, body shaping, and sub-dermal implants. Body art can also refer to a subcategory of performance art where the artist's body is central to the artwork.

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