Untitled (White Mezzotint) [trial proof] 1995

This 'Untitled (White Mezzotint) [trial proof]' was made by Jasper Johns using mezzotint, but we don't know exactly when. It's all about the surface here, isn't it? Look closely and you can see how Johns has worked the plate to create this velvety dark ground, scraping back into it to reveal these ghostly, luminous forms. The way the light seems to emerge from the darkness reminds me of those early photographic processes, but here, it’s all about touch. That face, smack dab in the middle, feels like it's trying to break through from somewhere else. You can almost feel Johns's hand moving, finding its way through the dark. There's a real conversation going on between figure and ground, a push and pull that keeps the eye moving. This print whispers, it’s a quiet, contemplative piece that invites you to slow down and really look. It's like Johns is saying, hey, let’s find the light together. Like Rauschenberg said: there is no poor subject.