Flight of the Butterfly
Date2000
MediumOil on canvas with clay tacks covered in oil paint on a wooden shelf
DimensionsCanvas (Assembled - Approximate): 66 × 84 inches (167.6 × 213.4 cm)
Canvas (Individual Piece ): 22 × 18 inches (55.9 × 45.7 cm)
15 pieces + shelf and tacks
Credit LineGift of Maxine Yalovitz-Blankenship.
Object number2006.68.a-rrr
Copyright© Maxine Yalovitz-Blankenship.
The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextMaxine Yalovitz-Blankenship identifies her upbringing in Rome, Georgia, as a major influence on her work and eventual career as an expressionist painter based in Massachusetts. Notably, her father’s pawnshop in Rome prompted the belief that “high art can come from anywhere, have lowly beginnings.” In this work, Yalovitz-Blankenship explores the concepts of metamorphosis and transience through a grid structure of paintings and clay tacks. Reflecting on this piece, she explained: “Artists are tricksters. With ambiguous symbols, these paintings convey different meanings to the individual viewer. From the dark chrysalis into light, the butterfly is transformed. Its illusive beauty is deceptive, allowing us only a transient moment.”
