Face with Watch [trial proof] 1996

Curator: This is Jasper Johns’ “Face with Watch”, a mixed-media print dating from 1996. The artwork’s combination of abstraction and symbolism immediately caught my eye. What are your initial impressions? Editor: I’m immediately struck by the somber mood, accentuated by that grounding reddish-brown. The watch and abstract shapes appear strangely isolated. Almost like symbols within a forgotten visual language. Curator: Precisely! Johns often explores familiar motifs and objects, elevating them to a realm of abstraction that asks the viewer to question their inherent meanings. The use of geometric abstraction seems particularly potent in this work, playing with how signs become estranged from themselves through aesthetic use and re-use. Editor: I see that. The deconstruction of the face combined with a utilitarian watch creates an uncanny tension between objecthood and the individual. What does Johns attempt to say about modern life? Is it some kind of comment on labor, consumption, or the commodification of our perception? Curator: These questions resonate deeply when considered in the context of Johns’ career. He deliberately challenges established notions surrounding artistic genius, originality, and the ready-made. Moreover, he does that precisely to demonstrate art's powerful status, which requires those critical perspectives. Editor: The mixed-media aspect, bringing together printmaking with perhaps collage or drawing, gives it a layered feel, mimicking how identity itself is formed. It feels almost like a statement against purity. Nothing comes into existence purely, it is a result of many overlapping layers of social, historical, and material phenomena. Curator: Indeed. That echoes my perspective: "Face with Watch" functions as a compelling statement on the production and perception of art within consumer culture, provoking dialogue on the interplay of self and societal expectations. Editor: It urges us to resist simple narratives about both. Thanks, I have found fresh avenues for understanding the symbolism imbued in everyday life! Curator: My pleasure. These works reveal how the role of the artist can both shape and mirror the ever-evolving world we inhabit.