Woolen Parrot 1940

Wellington Blewett created this unnamed drawing, known as *Woolen Parrot*, with graphite and watercolor on paper. The visual field is filled by the parrot and the branch, which are built with layers of tiny dots. This overall texture unifies the composition, yet each element maintains its distinct form through color variation. The body of the parrot presents a segmented design, which is echoed by the rounded forms of the berries and leaves. Blewett may have been inspired by pointillism. Here, however, the stippling technique isn’t used to explore optical blending but rather to flatten the image, emphasizing its constructed nature. This is a kind of semiotic code, drawing our attention to the symbolic function of representation. The Woolen Parrot offers a complex discourse about the interplay between perception and representation. By disrupting the conventional modes of visual expression, it invites a re-evaluation of how we perceive and interpret the world around us.