Untitled 2001

Editor: This "Untitled" collage print, a monoprint with graphite created in 2001 by Jasper Johns, has such a mysterious feel. The black and white imagery with the blocks, swirl and especially the family portrait layered amidst it all seems like I am peeking into a memory. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see layers of cultural memory and Johns’ continuous return to established imagery, re-interpreted here through the lens of contemporary printmaking. Notice the family portrait – the echo of an idealized past. How does that jive with the cold, hard bars on the opposite end? Editor: The bars seem to be blocking something. Are they somehow related to that circular swirl next to them? Curator: Indeed! That vortex recalls the constant churn of information, history constantly revisited and re-contextualized. Think about Johns' exploration of maps and flags: recognizable symbols stripped bare, urging us to question their meaning. And this monoprint carries that impulse forward, the vortex pulling from that portrait. Doesn't this combination offer commentary on contemporary society? Editor: Absolutely. So the portrait becomes a historical point, almost like source material? Curator: Exactly! These symbols repeat throughout Johns' work, constantly evolving in relation to one another. That repetition creates cultural memory; Johns ensures that our contemporary moment isn't removed from what came before, but adds upon it. What does the bending line suggest to you? Editor: Maybe time, or maybe a horizon, leading somewhere unknown. Curator: And isn’t that at the core of Johns’ work? He sets the stage with familiar images but refuses to give us a simple narrative. He encourages us to forge our own connections and contemplate the layers of meaning, hidden and revealed. I am struck at just how potent these graphic representations are as cultural artifacts. Editor: I agree. Thinking of those images in context, constantly reforming... it’s so much more impactful. Thanks for this perspective!