Fishes 1947 - 1951

Adja Yunkers made "Fishes" in 1951, and it's a print, so it exists in multiple versions; the one here is number nine in an edition of fifty. The palette is mostly reds and yellows, which feel warm but also, a little uneasy. Yunkers is laying the colour down in blocks, so you can see the process of layering. It's all about the making of the image. It’s so interesting to look at the texture in this work, as the overlaid marks are laid bare on the paper. I like the cross-hatching in the lower left, which is almost like the work of an etcher. There’s a tension between the flat planes of colour and these graphic elements that activate the surface, and make the image shimmer. It reminds me a little bit of Arthur Dove, in the way that he creates depth by building up many layers of translucent colour. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is a conversation, and there’s always room for another voice in the mix.