Figure 1

The print Figure 1 was executed in 1969 by Jasper Johns in collaboration with master printers Daniel Freeman, Richard Wilke, James Webb, and Dan Gualdoni, produced at Gemini G.E.L. This significant American work is a sophisticated color lithograph printed on high-quality Arjomari wove paper. The technical complexity of the piece, classified simply as a print, required the specialized expertise provided by the G.E.L. workshop, which served as a crucial hub for post-war print innovation during the period 1951 to 1975. The multi-layered nature of color lithography emphasizes the technical collaboration required to translate Johns’s conceptual ideas into this demanding medium.

Characteristic of Johns's investigations during the late 1960s, the conceptual framework of Figure 1 likely engages with seriality, numbering, or schematic representation, themes central to his transition from early Pop sensibilities toward conceptual abstraction. Johns often used the process of lithography not merely for reproduction, but as a primary tool for artistic experimentation. The layered application of color, made possible by the collaborative environment at G.E.L., allowed him to introduce both precise graphic elements and complex textural overlays, challenging the viewer's perception of surface and depth. This approach defined a major trend in American printmaking during the post-war era, pushing the boundaries of what the medium could achieve.

The finished work demonstrates a technical rigor achieved only through this specialized studio environment. As a key example of collaborative American prints from the mid-century, this piece offers essential insight into the conceptual practices of Johns and the evolving technical standards of printmaking during the second half of the 20th century. This important print is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.