Dancer 1954

Milton Avery made this black and white woodcut print, Dancer, in 1954. Look at the way Avery coaxes so much expression from such a limited palette. It's all about the cuts and gouges in the wood block, the way he teases out the form of the dancer. There’s a real physicality to this piece, isn’t there? The contrast between the stark white of the dancer's body and the dense, textured black of the background creates a dynamic energy. The way the white ink almost blooms on the page. Check out that arm raised above her head, and how its echoed by the shape of her dress, it’s like frozen motion. Even just the simple lines of the dancer’s face, it says so much. Avery’s work always reminds me of Matisse, with his bold shapes and interest in form. But Avery has his own unique way of simplifying and abstracting. What do you see? What does it make you feel? That’s the beauty of art, isn’t it?