The Juggler

Dorr Bothwell

Dorr Bothwell was influenced by the Surrealists, Arthur Dow's theory of Notan, and the design concepts of Rudolph Schaeffer. She wrote her own book 'Notan: The Dark-Light Principal of Design.'

This color screenprint is an excellent example of her work from the late 1940s. An abstracted "juggler", surrounded by a number of globes, tossed in the air. The composition has tension and balance, yet conveys a sense of movement, stopped in time. The light figure is set against a modulated dark background.

Bothwell wrote: "Everywhere we look we see this principle in action. Trees are not silhouetted against blank air, but hold blue patterns between their leaves with the branches frame living shapes of sky. We delight in the openings between the leaves of a plant or the spokes of the wheel. this endless exchange between form and space excites us. Once more we feel in touch with our world; our aesthetic sense is being fed and we are comforted."