Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year 

Editor: We're looking at "Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year" by Adja Yunkers, a graphic art print. It’s… rather somber for a holiday card. I am curious about the forms that appear almost skeletal and not immediately identifiable. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Formally, the work presents a fascinating tension between figuration and abstraction, complicated further by Yunkers’ choice of color and line. Notice how the linework, etched against the dark ground, creates both defined shapes and a sense of ethereal, almost spectral presence. Editor: Spectral… yes, that’s the word! It’s like these figures are fading, not celebrating. But is that small blot of red color significant? Curator: The limited color palette–primarily blues, with touches of red and gold–restricts a feeling of joy one might anticipate given the title. This dissonance between text and image disrupts any easy interpretation. Consider how the artist creates balance. Is it successful, and where might it falter? Editor: I guess it throws you off in terms of any obvious sentiment. What looks like a hand, the flag, a boat, even these little stars. Maybe it’s about the complex, sometimes somber, feelings that the holidays evoke? The skeletal lines maybe echo this sentiment of darkness? Curator: Precisely. And, perhaps, consider also how Yunkers manipulated line and form in order to provoke, rather than to simply depict. Editor: I see that now! I came in looking for what it meant, and wasn’t even considering what it was “doing” instead. Curator: Indeed. It prompts questions rather than provides answers, inviting us to explore the ambiguities of form and feeling.