Accession Number
1952/2.14

Title
The Birdlover

Artist(s)
Adja Yunkers

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1952

Medium & Support
woodcut on paper

Dimensions
14 3/4 in x 11 1/8 in (37.47 cm x 28.26 cm);22 1/16 in x 18 1/16 in (56.04 cm x 45.88 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
While living in Stockholm in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Yunkers published several journals on art and politics. Yunkers' handcrafted journals were evidence of his developing interest in printmaking, and by the 1940s he was making woodblock prints. Birds were a theme that appeared in other prints by the artist, including his 1947 Dead Bird, Fencing Bird (1971), and Falling Birds (1978).

Physical Description
This print is an abstracted image of a bird-like face with large round eyes. It appears behind a series of empty white lines and spaces that makes it look like it is peering out of a broken window or mirror. The woodcut is summarily carved, leaving a lot of texture in the blue, green, brown, white, and pink patches of color surrounding the face. 

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Abstract (fine arts style)
Aves (class)
abstraction
modern and contemporary art
woodcuts (prints)