Usuyuki 1979

Editor: Jasper Johns' "Usuyuki," held here at the Tate, presents us with three panels of layered ochre and white hatch marks. It feels like a whisper, somehow both fragile and enduring. What do you see in this piece, beyond the surface? Curator: Whispers indeed. I see Johns wrestling with representation itself. He's not depicting something "out there," but rather the act of seeing, the process of mark-making. Those divided panels – are they distinct viewpoints, or a fractured whole? And the title, "Usuyuki" - thin snow - adds to the sense of transience and quiet contemplation. Editor: So, it's less about what it depicts and more about how we perceive it? Curator: Precisely! It's an invitation to slow down, to consider the delicate dance between the artist's hand and our own interpretation. Don't you think? It's like he's asking, "What does it mean to *see*?" Editor: I never thought about it that way, but it makes me want to look closer. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Art's all about seeing more, together.