Untitled 2001

Jasper Johns made this untitled print with lithography, probably through a process of layering and re-working. I can see a dialogue happening between control and chance. Looking at this artwork, I imagine Jasper Johns as a kind of conductor, orchestrating different visual elements. The composition feels like a stage, with various props or backdrops arranged across its surface. The contrast between the more structured areas and the looser washes of color creates a push and pull, a tension that keeps the eye moving. I wonder if he was thinking about the relationship between abstraction and representation here, using familiar motifs in unfamiliar ways? Johns has always struck me as deeply engaged with the history of painting. I feel like he's in conversation with artists from the past, riffing on their ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. Like all artists, we’re all magpies, picking up shiny things we like and making them our own. Ultimately, it's about keeping the conversation going.