Medium: Etching with chine-collé
Dimensions: 23 1/2 x 21 1/4 inches (plate) 33 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.

Medium: Lithograph
Dimensions: 12 x 12 inches
Artist details: American, 1963
Date finished: 2013
Edition: AP of 3

Recommended by Catherine (Collections Specialist):

"Deborah Maris Lader's prints captivate me with their symbolic storytelling and strike a beautiful balance between dark and whimsical. This surreal lithograph, with its poignant symbolism, tells a complex story about personal growth and freedom. The girl holds a bird, calling out to its flock beyond the wall, and a kite that has begun to escape through a hole. She holds on to them as if they are parts of herself she can't quite let go of, especially while she herself is tangled in vines, passively trapped behind the wall. Her face looks vaguely pensive as she watches the flock of birds, perhaps wondering if she could free herself one day. I hope she does."