Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year 1948

Editor: This linocut print, "Merry Christmas and a Happier New Year," was created by Adja Yunkers in 1948. I’m struck by how simple yet dynamic it is. The red ink on the stark white paper creates such a vivid contrast. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, it’s a funny thing about holiday cards; they’re meant to be festive and joyous. And while this piece does evoke movement and energy, there’s also a rawness to it, don't you think? It reminds me of cave paintings, primitive and direct, yet filled with symbolic intent. The overlapping figures... is that a reindeer? A rider on horseback? Yunkers seems to be conjuring a sense of celebration filtered through memory, almost dreamlike. What story do you think he’s trying to tell? Editor: I hadn’t considered that, but I see what you mean about it being dreamlike! The lines are so energetic. I'm wondering if this raw quality you are speaking about has something to do with the date, 1948; Europe was still reeling from the war. Maybe it’s a cautious celebration. Curator: Precisely! Yunkers was Latvian-American, part of the Abstract Expressionist movement known for its angst-ridden intensity. Even in a holiday greeting, that artistic spirit bleeds through, doesn't it? Makes you wonder what “happier” meant to him. Editor: It definitely gives you a lot to think about. I expected something more conventionally cheerful, but this feels much deeper. Curator: And that’s the beauty of art, isn’t it? It sneaks up on you when you least expect it.