Untitled [4th state] 1999

Jasper Johns created this print, whose title is Untitled [4th state], using etching, aquatint, and drypoint. Johns emerged as an artist in the 1950s, a period marked by Cold War anxieties and shifting social norms. His work, often associated with Neo-Dada and Pop Art, challenged the dominance of Abstract Expressionism by reintroducing recognizable imagery. In this print, Johns divides the composition into distinct yet interconnected zones. One area features what appears to be a collection of personal or symbolic motifs, rendered in dark, textured lines. The other displays a pattern of diamonds, their surfaces varying in tone and texture. These motifs evoke a sense of layered meaning. Johns has said he is interested in "things which are seen and not looked at." The print invites us to consider the interplay between personal expression and cultural symbols, while suggesting the artist's quest to find meaning in the everyday.