Untitled (Embassies) [trial proof 1st state] 1999

Jasper Johns made this print, ‘Untitled (Embassies) [trial proof 1st state]’, using lithography. Just seeing it, you know it’s a first attempt, it feels very much like a sketch, an experiment with shapes and textures. The monochromatic palette is really interesting, it's all about how much water is added to the ink, how it bleeds and pools. The curve that begins in the middle really holds the image together. I love how it moves from something quite opaque and dark into a more transparent wash. The way Johns uses the texture of the lithographic stone to create these different effects, it's all about the physicality of the medium. I think of Rauschenberg, another artist who loved to play with printmaking, or even Cy Twombly, both of whom Johns knew well. It's like they are having a conversation across time, exploring the endless possibilities of the medium.