Untitled [1st state] 1999

Curator: Take a moment with Jasper Johns's "Untitled [1st state]" from 1999. It's a striking print on paper. Editor: The high contrast really grabs you, doesn't it? A monochrome world filled with…symbolic chaos? Curator: Exactly. What makes this so compelling, I think, is considering Johns's long history with printmaking, his process-driven approach. He’s pushing the medium, but always with an eye on art history. Editor: It is a busy composition, hard to follow. All the action happens in the black strip on the left side. From the texture of that black, and the clean lines depicting each sign or form, can we guess the method of production? A linocut, perhaps? The tools he chose absolutely dictates the character of this work. Curator: Yes, likely linocut—a relatively accessible, even quotidian material and technique—and his use of it here elevates it. Note, too, how he presents states – marking its place in a production series, subtly revealing process. Editor: The symbolic elements floating up and down the black column bring the primitive and the current together in an interesting blend. If this work had color it could be read completely differently. I feel, because of the stark color differences, it wants to convey serious thoughts. Curator: True, and it prompts questions. About mark-making. The artist's hand. The role of reproduction in an age of mass media. It becomes this meta-commentary on artistic labor. Editor: These marks! These signs! They feel universal. Are these meant to be elements plucked from art history? And how would different papers influence how Johns' final edition felt as an object? Curator: Precisely. Jasper Johns invites us to investigate how these visual tools function across history and culture. He gives form to new perspectives on printmaking and its potential to expand artistic thought. Editor: Agreed. What appears simple at first glance unlocks so many fascinating conversations upon further study. Curator: Indeed. It reminds us that sometimes the most powerful statements are whispered, not shouted.