Autumn IX

Shirley E. Witebsky

As with many of Shirley Witebsky's dynamic intaglio prints, "Autumn IX" is a composition that reflects the forces of nature. Using Abstract Expressionism as the lens, she recreates the energy of an autumn wind as it rushes though fallen leaves, or skips across the surface of a pond. The artist's exploration of layered color and texture are elegantly presented in this mid-century work.

Around 1952 Shirley Witebsky traveled from her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Paris, France to study with Stanley William Hayter at Atelier 17. There, she met fellow printmaker Krishna Reddy, who had been pivotal in developing the the simultaneous color printmaking method (color viscosity). They were later married and she and Krishna returned to the United States.

In 1964, they were both invited to participate in the first International Sculpture Symposium in North America, which took place in Montreal, Canada. Witebsky was the only female artist invited to participate in the event. Both she and Reddy each created a sculpture for the Mount-Royal Park, at which the works can still be found. (Of note: because Witebsky is represented in this sculpture park, she is listed as a Canadian artist on some websites.)

Unfortunately, Witebsky died just short of her forty-first birthday, just as her style came to fruition.