The Seasons (Fall) [1/2 trial proof] 1987

Editor: Jasper Johns' "The Seasons (Fall)," a mixed-media print from 1987. I’m struck by how disjointed it feels, like a collection of fragmented memories pieced together. There’s a lot to take in! What compositional elements stand out to you most? Curator: Initially, one observes a tripartite division of the picture plane. Note how Johns structures space through these vertical panels, almost like a triptych. On either side are these somewhat muted, gestural figures. Are they guardians of some kind? Consider how the textures vary within each section—smooth in some areas, heavily worked in others. Does the contrast between the flat picture plane, suggested through geometric shapes and a monochrome palette on a wall, versus the detailed textures of foreground, inform how we perceive space in this trial proof? Editor: So you are focusing on the relationship between color, texture and shape in creating visual structure, more than subject? The dark figure reaching into the pan looks compelling. Is it of formal interest, too? Curator: Precisely. The arrangement of forms dictates our viewing. Observe how Johns repeats shapes, for example, echoing the geometric shapes. And notice how color functions, with colder and warmer elements distributed asymmetrically to draw us across and down the image plane. Does it strike you that color could act as a means of cohering it into wholeness? Editor: Yes! Thinking about the way these forms play off one another has totally shifted how I see the piece. Thanks. Curator: Indeed. Looking closely at the visual language can provide new understanding into a trial-proof such as this.