Birds and Sea 1955

"Birds and Sea" is a 1955 woodcut by American artist Milton Avery (1885-1965). The print features a stylized, simplified landscape in a palette of blue and white. The scene depicts a calm body of water, possibly a lake or sea, with several birds perched on landmasses. Avery's characteristic flatness of form and emphasis on line and shape are evident in this work, a hallmark of his distinctive style known as "modern primitivism." The work demonstrates Avery's exploration of nature through a simplified and abstract lens.