The Juggler 1947

Dorr Bothwell made this print, called ‘The Juggler’, and well, it’s juggling a lot of things! Bothwell really goes to town with texture and colour here. The blue background has this kind of dappled, almost fabric-like effect, which makes the flat shapes of the figure and spheres really pop. It's playful, like she’s not trying to hide the process at all. Look at how the artist builds up the figure. It's not just flat colour, there's this amazing detailed patterning inside, that contrasts the smooth shapes. It almost looks like she's using different tools and methods to create these different effects. The floating black dots and the spindly lines give a sense of movement, like everything’s in flux. If you like the playful abstraction here, check out Joan Miró. He’s got a similar way of using simple shapes and bold colours to create a sense of whimsy. Ultimately, art is an open conversation, and it's up to us to decide what it all means.