In art and music, the changing seasons have often been used as a metaphor for the journey through life. In Carnegie Museum of Art’s recent exhibition “ the Art of Possibilities”, a survey of the works of artist Jasper Johns, a series of four etchings produced by the artist in 1987 serve as a reflection of Jasper’s life and career. Each print represents a season and includes the artists portrayal of himself as a shadow amid a muddle of his belongings and works produced throughout his career.
Throughout his career, Johns has re-created the American flag in various sizes, colors, and orientation, and the edge of one of these flags is visible at the bottom edge of the print. Simple furniture pieces appear in many of his works, and a wooden chair in the upper left reminds us of them. An arm rotates like the arm of a clock in the lower left, describing aging and the passage of time, but a playful drawing above it of a snowman lightens the mood. A grouping of circles and triangles line the lower edge, referencing Jasper's interest in reducing forms in nature to basic geometric shapes. As the series of etchings progress through the seasons, many of these items re-appear, brighter, light, and maybe more hopeful, as we work our way out of winter an into another spring.
