Untitled (Yellow) [1st state 1/2] 1982

This is an etching by Jasper Johns, it’s called Untitled (Yellow). The image consists of a dense accumulation of circular marks on a dark ground, interspersed with a handprint, an arm, and an arrow pointing downwards. I wonder what Johns was thinking when he was making this? I can imagine him hunched over the plate, carefully and methodically incising lines into the metal. His hand probably got tired, but he kept going, driven by some inner urge to fill the space, to make a mark, to leave his trace. Look at how the circular marks are slightly different, each one has its own texture, rhythm, and weight. The plate is deeply bitten, almost dissolving into a sea of tone and texture. This work reminds me of other Johns’ prints and paintings, where he explores the themes of repetition, pattern, and the relationship between image and object. It’s like he's saying, "Here I am, here is my hand, here is the mark I made," but also, "What does it all mean?" Maybe Johns, like all of us, was searching for meaning in the world, trying to make sense of the chaos and uncertainty of life.