The Seasons (Fall) [1st state] 1987

Curator: Immediately striking, this work seems to possess a haunting stillness. Editor: You’re right, there’s a kind of subdued, monochromatic palette that certainly evokes a sense of melancholy. This is “The Seasons (Fall) [1st state],” a mixed-media print—specifically an etching—created by Jasper Johns in 1987. What I find particularly fascinating is how Johns weaves figuration and abstraction into one space. Curator: Absolutely, and thinking about Johns’s broader project, this layering is significant. We have these shadowy, spectral figures flanking a central space filled with geometric forms and abstract gestures. The human figures become ghostly traces, perhaps referencing personal loss or societal anxieties about the body. Editor: The geometry provides such stark contrast. These are well-defined forms. Semiotically, consider the hard lines, contrasting textures, and negative space. The composition seems to rely on dividing and partitioning the image to invite closer contemplation of the spatial dynamics. Curator: It certainly feels like an act of partitioning but perhaps also of revealing. Thinking about postmodernism, the figure’s deconstruction is evident, possibly alluding to larger historical events of cultural disintegration and reformulation, which were prevalent during this era. The body becomes a site of fragmentation. Editor: That interpretation resonates. What I observe technically are the etching's meticulous execution and layering effects, showcasing a profound understanding of materials. There is real subtlety here. Curator: I see in this a visual reckoning with the passage of time and the human body's fragility against those broader, societal and political contexts that are hinted at through fragmentation. A compelling visual representation. Editor: It also underscores, for me, the enduring power of visual form and technique in eliciting complex emotion, which extends past subject. A rather somber statement overall.