Untitled (White Mezzotint) [trial proof] 1995

This is a trial proof of ‘Untitled (White Mezzotint)’ by Jasper Johns. The print shows a rectangle within a rectangle, the smaller frame contains an enigmatic face. The subdued tones, achieved through mezzotint, lend a dreamlike quality, blurring the boundaries between representation and abstraction. Johns often challenges the viewer's perception of reality. By framing a face, he prompts us to question the nature of identity. The print destabilizes fixed meanings. Is the face a portrait, a symbol, or a mere collection of lines and shapes? The symbols around the central motif add layers of complexity, resisting easy interpretation. Johns' work is not just about what we see, but how we see. The artist engages in a dialogue about the structures that underpin our understanding of the world, reminding us that art is a site of ongoing interpretation.