Strange Bird 1953

Milton Avery made this ‘Strange Bird’ print in 1953, most likely using a wood or linoleum block. I can just imagine him carving away at the block, digging out the image of this bird. It's a reductive image, just black and white, but it still feels full of life. The bird is so peculiar, with its dotted body and strange beak; it’s like Avery is teasing out the essence of 'birdness.' I bet he was thinking about other artists who’ve tackled the same subject, like maybe Picasso or even some ancient cave painters. You can see these playful experiments throughout Avery’s work. He wasn't afraid to simplify things down to their bare bones and he understood that painting is like having a conversation with the past. By taking something old and turning it into something new he’s showing that art is an ongoing exchange. And like all good exchanges, the meaning is never fixed, it's always open to interpretation.