Untitled Possibly 1997

Editor: This is an "Untitled" mixed-media print by Jasper Johns, possibly from 1997. It's a collage of different geometric shapes and diagrams, some more defined than others. I'm intrigued by the seemingly random combination of elements, but it's making me wonder, what connects all of this for you? Curator: For me, this piece reveals the labor inherent in artmaking. Look at the architectural plans, the map fragments – these are traces of design and industry, repurposed here. Johns is drawing our attention to the materiality of the artistic process, isn’t he? Editor: So you’re saying it's about highlighting the building blocks, the tangible elements? Curator: Precisely. Consider the ‘craft’ element too: printmaking as a repetitive process, almost industrial. Juxtapose this with the more ‘high art’ tradition of drawing – a subtle questioning of boundaries, perhaps? Are those ladder shapes a suggestion of rising above these limitations? Editor: The ladder, interesting. I was focusing more on how those stark lines create a sense of division. Curator: Indeed. Division, but also assembly. This isn’t just about what is depicted, but *how* it’s depicted. How the work comes to be impacts the meaning. Notice how certain images are layered. Consider Johns' earlier works with flags and maps and how he repeated certain images so much that the lines began to breakdown, almost to abstraction. That, to me, speaks of a different means of deconstructing an image to examine its various means of production. Editor: I see that. The way he layers these mass-produced images gives them a totally new context. Curator: And what of our role in consumption here? The piece is titled ‘Untitled’, making us question our interpretation and almost forcing our consumption of it. It’s quite brilliant, don’t you think? Editor: Definitely gives a new perspective. I'm beginning to appreciate the deconstruction, the act of repurposing mundane materials into art. Thanks for your help in framing this in terms of production and materials!