Rooster 1953

This screenprint, Rooster, was made by Milton Avery sometime in his career. It's all about the push and pull of colour and shape. I can imagine Avery in his studio, playing with the contrasts between the blues and blacks, finding the perfect balance between representation and abstraction. Avery's use of flat color planes and simplified forms reminds me of Matisse, but there's a distinctly American sensibility at play here too. It’s the sort of image that feels like a memory, distilled down to its essence. Like how the idea of a rooster lives in your head. And that textured surface? It gives the whole thing this handmade quality, making you feel like you could almost reach out and touch it. Ultimately, it's this kind of conversation across generations that keeps art alive.