HELMI JUVONEN : SYMBOL, MYTH, FANTASY
ID#:
1984.0018.000004
Description:
Whale, 1951—1952
Linocut print on paper
Gifts of Helmi Juvonen and Wesley Wehr, 1984.18.4

Helmi often integrates multiple masks and sacred animals by connecting them with energetic lines and layering them in Cubist compositions. In the process, these works become increasingly abstract. The artist invites viewers to explore a tapestry of imagery hidden in complex patterns and designs.

The rounded face in the composition may represent a ceremonial rattle, which often assumes bird (raven) or human form.

The Whatcom Museum collection contains several works that reflect the complete range of Helmi's printmaking process: the initial drawing, a tracing for transfer, the linoleum block, and the final print.
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