Woman and Bird 1987

Corneille made this work, *Woman and Bird*, using watercolor and pencil. The loose application of color and simplified form give the artwork a feeling of immediacy. You see the inherent qualities of the medium, the watery pigment soaking into the paper. The texture and form of the paper support the work, while the artist’s hand becomes clearly visible through the pencil lines. There is a deliberate contrast between the fine lines of the pencil drawing and the soft application of watercolor paint, which brings a sense of motion to the landscape around the figures. Corneille employed these relatively accessible and affordable materials, with their inherent portability, to create work quickly, perhaps even en plein air. The artist's labor and artistic choices in the production process emphasizes the importance of materiality, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.