Bird in the Wind 1942

Curator: Richard Pousette-Dart created "Bird in the Wind" in 1942. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: It’s busy! There's so much happening—layers upon layers. It gives me a feeling of swirling energy, a contained chaos, maybe. Curator: That energetic chaos might be quite deliberate, especially considering the historical context. This was created during World War II. Pousette-Dart, like many artists of his generation, was deeply affected by the war's anxieties and sought to express that in abstract form. Editor: So, the swirling could represent the tumultuous social and political climate. And what appears to be a bird becomes more like a fragmented symbol of freedom, struggling perhaps, against the storm? Curator: Exactly. Pousette-Dart was deeply invested in the spiritual and mythological potential of abstract forms. Consider, too, how museums and galleries displayed artwork at the time, prioritizing European Modernism—and thus, implicitly marginalizing American voices that responded to crises outside of Europe. "Bird in the Wind" feels like a counterpoint to this bias. Editor: The layered patterns also intrigue me, an intricate dance of geometric and organic shapes. It almost feels like the work prefigures fractal imagery. Is there any influence we know of indigenous art, perhaps? Curator: Definitely. Pousette-Dart, along with many artists associated with early Abstract Expressionism, explored non-Western art, perceiving in them a visual language aligned with universal unconscious symbols. There's a move away from singular Western traditions, embracing diverse visual lexicons. The effect creates almost a dreamscape effect, the work is a psychological map of the time. Editor: Looking at the artwork now through this contextual and theoretical framework makes the patterns read so much deeper than mere surface decoration. Curator: Indeed. Considering how art interprets and informs the world around it truly helps us realize its crucial importance. Editor: Seeing the war and its societal impact portrayed abstractly adds a valuable perspective, allowing new ideas and new means of political and personal exploration.