The Heron and the Fish

Medium: Etching with chine-collé
Dimensions: 23 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches (plate) 31 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches (sheet)
Artist details: American, 1963
Date finished: 2017
Edition: of 20

Recommended by Nikki (Fine Print Photographer & Content Publisher):
This piece is a retelling of a folktale involving a heron, fish, and a crab. I’ve heard many versions of this story and I always wonder at how things would have gone differently for the characters if the heron had chosen to help, rather than manipulate and indulge. The fish would have lived, the heron would have been able to experience community, and the crab would be able to find peace. Lader's symbolic detail and careful chine-collé of colorful washi paper, elegantly walks the viewer through this story and its facets in one image.