The Seasons (Summer) 1987

Editor: Here we have Jasper Johns' print, "The Seasons (Summer)". It is a mixed media print, I find the composition a little bit unsettling, like a fragmented dream. What do you make of it? Curator: Unsettling is a good word. It’s a deeply personal piece, wouldn't you say? The fragmented imagery--the mannequin, the American flag, the Mona Lisa-- feels like memories colliding. Do you notice how the artist's shadow is cast within the composition, almost like a ghost? Editor: I didn't see that at first! How does that relate to the season of summer? Curator: Summer is often associated with nostalgia, fleeting moments. Johns seems to be capturing the ephemeral nature of memory itself, the way fragments linger and fade. We're left with a sense of longing, a personal reflection on time. Editor: So, it's less about sunshine and beaches, and more about the internal landscape of summer? Thanks, that gives me a lot to think about. Curator: Exactly. Art is often about turning assumptions inside out. And who knows? Maybe the beach is in there somewhere, too.