Succubae 1950

Curator: Looking at Adja Yunkers' 1950 woodcut, "Succubae," the composition immediately strikes me as unsettling. The distorted figures and dissonant colors evoke a sense of unease, don't you think? Editor: It does, but I'm drawn in by how Yunkers achieves this with such economical means. We should note that this is a print. Notice the starkness of the woodcut technique; the way the block is carved dictates the hard-edged forms and the powerful contrasts of dark and light. What about the cultural conditions and methods surrounding this type of print? Curator: Well, in terms of the artist's process, think of the physical act of carving the wood itself and its connection to craft traditions but consider too Yunkers' wider position. As a émigré artist, displacement and re-invention are relevant contextual layers to consider. He’d experienced several major upheavals which led him from Latvia to Paris and ultimately New York. Editor: That adds another dimension. Focusing again on the purely formal elements, there is an interplay between abstraction and figuration; there's a suggestion of bodies, of faces with elongated eyes, and shapes layered to almost evoke dreamscape logic. Do you consider the title and thematic exploration indicative? Curator: Absolutely. Given the title and Yunkers' influences—particularly surrealism, combined with his personal experiences of war and exile—we can infer a narrative grappling with anxieties around gender, power and dislocation. The jagged lines almost visualize turmoil. In terms of labour, his experience and training shaped how he could interpret them through Abstract Expressionism in woodcut format. The material conditions dictated the forms, yes, but equally inform an approach that can be consumed more widely, being printed. Editor: An insightful reading, thank you! Thinking just about pure expression for a moment, the print works dynamically. Despite my unease, the sharp contrasts and fracturing and layering makes for a compelling picture that unsettles while creating visual excitement. Curator: Agreed, I think considering both materiality and meaning gives us the fullest appreciation. Editor: Indeed.