Three Birds 1952

Milton Avery made this dynamic woodcut, Three Birds, in 1952, and it’s a great example of how simplifying form can really amplify feeling. Avery’s limited palette and strong lines distill the essence of flight. Look at how the black ink is almost velvety, while the yellow has this energetic buzz to it. In the bird on the right, you can see the texture of the woodblock coming through in the markings on its wings. It reminds you that this image isn’t just a picture, it’s also an object made with tools, time, and pressure. I love how Avery lets the process show, he’s not trying to hide anything. It’s like he’s saying, “Here’s the trick, but it's still magic.” You see a similar approach in the work of someone like Elizabeth Murray, who also used deceptively simple forms to convey complex emotional states. Like her, Avery reminds us that art is a conversation, a back-and-forth between ideas and materials, where meaning is always in motion.