Numbers 1966

Jasper Johns made "Numbers," a densely packed image of numerals encased in what looks like encaustic. I can imagine Johns, methodically applying layer upon layer, patiently building up the surface like a kind of skin or fossil. The numbers feel almost archaeological, as if they've been unearthed from some ancient civilization. It makes me think of Rauschenberg, Johns’s friend, and of Cy Twombly, and the art of fragment and mark making. There's something so satisfying about the way each number is contained within its own little square, yet the overall effect is one of overwhelming repetition, a bit like an algorithm. The limited color palette – variations on gray, sepia, and purple – adds to the sense of mystery. Look how he scratches into the surface, revealing the layers beneath; it’s a kind of excavation, a peek into the process itself. We are all in an ongoing conversation with the past, the present, and each other. These works embody this beautifully, capturing the flux and flow of artistic influence.