Winter [1/2 trial proof direct litho] 1989

This is a trial proof lithograph called Winter by Jasper Johns. The image emerges from a flurry of marks like a half-remembered dream. I'm drawn to how Johns balances clarity and ambiguity. Look at the contrast between the solid blacks and the delicate, almost ethereal, grays. The lithographic crayon seems to dance across the surface, creating a rich texture. You can almost feel the grain of the stone. The medium here feels so present, so much a part of the image’s meaning. The litho itself is the happening. Think about the way Johns returns to similar images and motifs throughout his career. There is a deep engagement with the possibilities of artmaking through a process of continual experimentation. The way Johns embraces uncertainty makes me think of Rauschenberg's ethos, to act in the gap between art and life. For Johns, as for many of us, art is less about answers and more about the questions.