Untitled (Orange Mezzotint) [1st state] 1995

Curator: Jasper Johns created this print, "Untitled (Orange Mezzotint) [1st state]" in 1995, and its a compelling example of abstract expressionism, utilizing mezzotint and graphite. What are your initial thoughts on this work? Editor: Oh, hello! My first thought is it feels like peering into an attic, dimly lit, a collection of cast-off thoughts and memories gathering dust. Curator: Interesting! The monochrome palette certainly lends itself to that kind of somber reflection. How does the composition strike you? Editor: It's densely packed, claustrophobic even. But within that, the eye is drawn to the central square, its tight hatching a stark contrast to the amorphous shapes surrounding it. It's like a secret chamber within a jumble of relics, dare I say? Curator: The "relics" you mention... Perhaps suggestive of Johns' engagement with found objects and his own artistic past? Editor: Totally, but here they're abstracted, defamiliarized, almost grotesque. They become symbols instead of recognizable things. I am sure that Johns played with creating symbols for the sake of visual engagement and contemplation on symbols. Curator: It makes sense, considering his prominent use of recurring imagery and the silkscreen medium itself—each reproduction is never quite identical, raising questions about originality and the passage of time. This work seems like a layered exploration of Johns' complex iconography. Editor: Exactly! Its an object that can be read at different scales to trigger a personal exploration of the role of the individual with a constantly changing world. Its kind of funny if you really thing about it that the symbols for these topics are abstract representations of items like clothes, paintings and silverware, ha! Curator: It underscores the weight of history and Johns’ continuous interrogation of it, then—both personally and as it’s institutionalized. This has been quite insightful! Editor: Agreed. Art needs that sense of connection to something, or someone; in this case both me, and a general observation that touches people who contemplate it deeply.