Green Angel 2 [1st state] 1997

This lithograph called "Green Angel 2", was made by Jasper Johns, probably in the late 20th century. What strikes me about this piece is the way Johns embraces the act of layering and reworking. You get the sense that he’s not afraid to let the history of the image show through, with the different states of the print adding depth and complexity. Looking at the image, the contrast of the graphic black and white lines create a push and pull effect. The materiality of the ink gives the print a tactile quality, and you can almost feel the pressure of the lithographic stone. The shapes appear as if floating in and out of focus, challenging our perception of space and form. The gesture of the diagonal lines, in particular, feels almost like a casual scribble, yet it’s so deliberate in its placement. Johns, like Rauschenberg, was interested in the everyday, but also in how images repeat, transform, and accrue meaning over time. This print feels like a conversation with art history, while still very much being its own thing. Ultimately, this print, and Johns' wider practice, reminds me that art is not about answers, but about the questions we ask.