Fancy Bird 1953

Milton Avery made this woodcut, Fancy Bird, in 1953. It’s all about the simple, gestural marks that describe the bird and its surroundings. I find myself drawn to the way Avery uses black lines to create the texture of the bird's body, kind of like a loose net draped over its form. You can see the grain of the wood coming through, which adds another layer of texture and depth. The colors, a muted green and stark black, are bold but also feel so calm, like the bird is quietly existing in its little world. It's cool how he suggests the bird's environment with just a few horizontal lines and some vertical marks at the bottom. Avery’s known for his simple shapes and blocks of color, and you can totally see that here, like maybe he was hanging out with Matisse. This piece has an abstract kind of simplicity, showing us how much can be said with so little.