Untitled 1997

This print was made by Jasper Johns in 1997. Take a look at the schematic plan of a building, the bird perched on what seems to be a gun, and the stick figure clambering a ladder. These motifs are familiar to us, yet they resist any immediate interpretation. Consider the bird: since ancient times it has embodied the human soul. But here, the soul is coupled with death, represented by the gun. Does the motif evoke the universal struggle between life and destruction? Perhaps the stick figure evokes a similar dilemma, reaching for the heavens with a ladder. The image recalls Jacob's Ladder from Genesis, which represents a connection between heaven and earth, and alludes to the possibility of spiritual ascent, something that might be desired to escape a cycle of violence and destruction. This layering suggests the complex, often contradictory, nature of human experience, an emotional and psychological tension. The persistence of these images throughout history is a testament to their profound impact on our collective consciousness.