Winter [1/2 trial proof direct litho] 1989

Jasper Johns made this print called ‘Winter’ using lithography, a printmaking process that loves the gesture. The image is built up from marks and smudges, like how snow gathers into dirty drifts. You can see the hand of the artist here, in the scratches and scribbles. It’s dark, full of foreboding. I wonder if Johns was feeling a bit gloomy when he made this. Maybe the stark monochrome reflects a kind of stark mood. The figures are strange and haunting. Are they ghosts or memories? Are they the traces of past selves, hanging around in the present? You know, making a print is like having a conversation with yourself across time. You make a mark, pull a print, and then respond to what you see. Johns is known for repeating imagery in his work, so this piece is likely related to other ‘seasons’ from this period. Artists keep these motifs going and keep the conversation flowing.