It was interesting to find another online art blogger, Amy Schimler, who recently blogged about Milton Avery. Here she posted her favorite image of his, Mother and Child from 1944.
Schimler's bio is so loveable, she likes nature walks and red licorice laces and flea markets. She's an artist who calls her work Red Fish Circle, and she thanks you for joining in on her creative journal. What is it she loves so well about this piece of Avery's work? She says it is her favorite and she spent time searching for it. I think it could be the strange way Avery painted the mother as no other mother had been painted before. She's ghostly snow white, against a deep gray chair in a steel gray room. The only warmth, and warm is the way to describe it, is the earth tone baby in a violet cap and mustard yellow coat. Yeah Milton! What notion led him as he blotched out every drop of color from the woman then gave her tightly combed jet black hair. And she hasn't lost the sense of love, the concern, the adoration she has of the child. Why is she cold, has she disappeared, can she be seen any longer, is she just a blank page now, what was Avery thinking? Who is this about and what does it mean to Amy Schimler? I really want to know.
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4 comments:
Many of his faces were blank in the mid 40's, not just mums and babies.
I love how all the attention is to the baby. Every new mother knows what that means. It the most selfless act - you hand your whole self over, but you don't mind a bit, the love is that great. He pretty much nailed it in this painting.
One of my favorite Avery blank face portrait is Card Players. He did it in 1944. The colors are spot on.
... I love his blank faces. He also did Seated Girl with Dog in 1944. Those colors will knock your socks off.
LaValle
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