Untitled [1st state] 1997

This is an etching by Jasper Johns; it’s lines incised into a metal plate, then printed onto paper. With Johns, you can always feel the ghost of Duchamp lurking. This piece is a great example of how Johns is constantly playing with representation and perception. The surface is all line, a jumble of different images and motifs like a collage, or maybe a dream. He’s laid bare the bones of the image-making process. I love the ladder on the right-hand side, leaning at an impossible angle. It’s so simply rendered, just a few lines, but it’s also completely solid. It makes you wonder what's what? Johns reminds us that seeing is not always believing, it's a process of construction, deconstruction, and endless questioning. Like a Cy Twombly drawing, the apparent simplicity is deceptive; it’s the result of deep thought and a playful approach to the medium. It's about the conversation between the artist, the materials, and us, the viewers.