China-painting Color Test Plates
Object Label
In this set of ceramic plates executed over six months, Chicago meticulously charts various glazes and palettes, echoing her earlier abstract color wheel paintings and drawings. In the almost scientific investigation she notes chromatic ranges, firing difficulties, and the subsequent results. This experimentation was part of Chicago’s apprenticeship with master china painters in order to become an expert in the technique. Her intensive training added to an already extensive range of techniques, as she had studied plastics, auto body painting, and pyrotechnics in the 1960s, when she was usually the lone woman in the courses.
Caption
Judy Chicago American, born 1939. China-painting Color Test Plates, 1974. Porcelain and china paint, twelve plates, display case: 34 3/4 × 84 × 3 1/2 in. (88.3 × 213.4 × 8.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the artist, 2014.71. © artist or artist's estate
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Artist
Title
China-painting Color Test Plates
Date
1974
Medium
Porcelain and china paint, twelve plates
Classification
Dimensions
display case: 34 3/4 × 84 × 3 1/2 in. (88.3 × 213.4 × 8.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Accession Number
2014.71
Rights
© artist or artist's estate
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Frequent Art Questions
I would like to know more about these plates please!
These plates are test plates that were made in preparation for "The Dinner Party." This set of plates was made over the course of six months, and was used to test colors and glazes as Chicago and her volunteers prepared for the final ceramics.What are these?
These test plates and other objects that reveal the process of creating "The Dinner Party" are so fascinating to see! Because china paints and glazes don't appear the same when they are wet as when they are fired, tests like these were an essential step. This is how Chicago knew what color her work would turn out to be. Nearby, you can even see that Chicago wrote a pamphlet on the China painting technique.Thanks!Is china paint different than ceramic glaze? What are the similarities, if any?
China painting is a type of over-glaze decoration. The colors are made from glassy enamels that are applied to a previously glazed and fired object. After applying the "china painting," the object is fired again but at a much lower temperature than the initial firing.The enamels used in china painting are similar to glazes—they both include silica to create a glass-like finish.Wow, cool. Thank you!Dime más.
Estos platos para prueba dan una idea del proceso de ensayo y error que siguió Judy Chicago para la creación de “The Dinner Party.”La técnica que aquí se muestra se llama "china painting." Chicago estudió la técnica durante dos años.Las arcillas, pinturas, y esmaltes pueden cambiar de color en el horno. Es por eso que fue necesario probar todas las combinaciones para así saber cómo lograr el producto final deseado.Why does the plate labeling refer to “gold colors”? I see only red.
Great question! Chicago was experimenting with different glazing techniques, including single glazing (as seen here, with the red) and iridescent lustres.The lustre glazes were applied in two steps. First the base color was applied and fired, followed by a second glaze and firing.This plate is the first step in that lustre process. She never applied the second glaze to this particular piece!Thank you.These ”test-plates” were the only actual practice or were they originally supposed to be part of the exhibition?
As beautiful as they are, they really are just "test plates." They functioned as a reference so that Chicago and her assistants knew what color the paints and glazes would be when they were fired.
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