I chose to focus on Cornell’s box in the black Cockatoo Silhouette created ca. 1959-1960. This box is standing vertically, and has a background made from different types and texture of collages paper showing names of European grand hotels from Baedeker Guides. The foreground contains a small bar across the top of the box, with a red tinted loop hanging down from it. The depiction of the bird in this piece is in the form of a silhouette rather than a solid form, and it uses a small tree branch for the perch that the bird sits on.
The loop in the top right corner hangs from the small metal bar across the box and also works well to create a shadow, adding more shapes within the shape of the piece. The bird is perched atop a small strip of wood, giving the illusion of holding up a bird that is in fact not there at all, but only a silhouette. The words in the background of the box itself adds a specific texture and feel to the wrok that would not otherwise exist if he had used a plain surface. The words are reminiscent of travel, giving the effect that he had traveled to the places mentioned, even though he had not. This box reminded me of a recent exhibit I saw at the MFA Museum in Boston entitled “Kunstkammer”. I came a cross and exhibit of a cabinet of curiosities and the materiality and different elements working together in one box was parallel to Cornell’s work.
This artwork is definitely using negative space to show the bird and it representation. The fact that there is text pertaining to travel in the background, however Cornell never actually visited those places in Europe. This works with the theme of negative space and representing something that doesn’t exist or did not really happen, like Cornell visiting Europe. This is meant to show that he is an “armchair voyager” meaning he doesn’t actually visit the place to get the inspiration or experience because he gathers that from staying in one place and collecting materials to represent the travel destination.
