Untitled (White Mezzotint) [working proof with ink and collage additions] 1995

Editor: Here we have Jasper Johns' "Untitled (White Mezzotint) [working proof with ink and collage additions]" from 1995. It's a mixed media piece, quite understated in its use of pale colors and simple forms. What stands out to you about Johns' process here? Curator: I am struck by the emphasis on the "working proof." The inherent nature of printmaking - its reproducible aspect - is toyed with. By adding ink and collage, Johns undermines any illusion of easy duplication. He calls our attention to the labor involved in creating a unique image. Editor: So, you see this as less about the image itself and more about highlighting the physical making of it? Curator: Exactly! Consider the "mezzotint" title; it hints at a demanding, subtractive process. It's traditionally a tonal process, so the pale result is even more surprising and intentional. And then he uses collage – glue, paper – to interrupt that tonal subtlety with distinct textures. What impact do you think the added elements have on our reading of this work? Editor: I guess I had assumed Johns just added these elements spontaneously to elevate the piece to something new, or experiment with it. Curator: It is both additive and subtractive. It shows him tinkering to achieve that elevation you mention. The “working proof” status suggests a blurring of the line between the fine art print and the artist's studio labor that generates it. He's deliberately making visible the production processes of the image itself. He also takes commercial materials and uses them for a fine-art setting. Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t considered it that way. Thanks, now I know to think beyond the aesthetic presentation. Curator: And I find myself appreciating even more the way Johns foregrounds materiality within the art-making context!