Untitled 1962

Editor: This is John Paul Jones' "Untitled," created in 1962. It's an intaglio print, a monochrome portrait that seems to emerge from darkness. I find it quite haunting. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, focusing on the printmaking process itself, intaglio involves cutting into a metal plate, applying ink, and then using immense pressure to transfer the image to paper. The intense blacks and subtle grays you see speak to the labor involved, the physical act of carving and pressing. Considering this was 1962, what do you think the artist might be conveying through the choice of this demanding, almost brutal technique? Editor: I hadn't considered the physical effort. Maybe the harshness reflects something about the subject, or even the mood of the time? There's an unsettling feeling it gives off. Curator: Exactly. Think about the materials: the metal, the acid used to etch, the ink, the paper. Each contributes to the final product, yet their origins and the industrial processes behind them are largely obscured. It challenges traditional ideas of artistic creation, blurring the lines between craft and fine art, doesn't it? Does it raise any further questions for you about the artwork? Editor: It does. Knowing that the print is part of a potentially unlimited series affects how I perceive the "originality" and uniqueness of the artwork itself. Is each print simply a reproduction or something more? Curator: Precisely! Each print becomes a document of the labor, pressure, and materials involved, each holding unique marks. This shifts the focus from the singular artwork to the broader system of production and consumption, influencing meaning and worth. Editor: I see. I was so focused on the face in the image that I overlooked the significance of the printing method. Thanks, I appreciate learning about a new point of view. Curator: And I you, reflecting on art's labor invites to acknowledge a much larger network than traditionally understood.