Face with Watch [trial proof (pencil additions)] 1996

Curator: This intriguing mixed-media print, "Face with Watch," was created by Jasper Johns in 1996, exhibiting his masterful touch with abstraction. Editor: Immediately, the density of color, the deep maroon ground, almost oppresses, and then you notice the levity of the odd items, a watch hanging on the right, the mountains rising on the lower right edge, all seemingly tacked onto a very unstable picture plane. Curator: Johns creates such compelling formal tension, doesn’t he? Notice the strategic arrangement of shapes and lines. The central panel, ostensibly the face, is composed of layered textures and ambiguous forms. Observe the careful hatch marks filling each colored section and defining each plane. Editor: Yes, and the repetition of that linear motif almost domesticates these otherwise inexplicable objects. Look, a door handle on the lower left! But what kind of door? To where? Considering Johns' frequent use of symbolic imagery throughout his oeuvre, one wonders what cultural references and anxieties regarding the passage of time he's exploring here. A watch casually dangling! Curator: Absolutely, his selection of color holds significance, wouldn't you agree? Consider the way he juxtaposes the cool green tones against the warmer oranges and purples. He plays with complementary palettes in a way that heightens visual contrast and enlivens the composition. Editor: Perhaps this is not so much a face with a watch but rather a statement on our collective "face," presented as mediated via global time? A poignant piece given the sociopolitical turbulence Johns has lived through in his long career. Curator: True. The pencil additions only further the effect. One wonders what other layers of semiotic meaning might be embedded beneath this surface. The visual information asks as many questions as it seemingly answers. Editor: "Face with Watch" seems deceptively simple at first glance, but with some sustained reflection, one begins to glimpse just how socially layered and psychologically disquieting its symbolism actually is. Curator: Indeed. And for me, considering it solely as a formal study is also a deeply rewarding analytical experience.