Target With Four Faces Ulae 55 1968 by Jasper Johns
Target With Four Faces Ulae 55 (1968)
Jasper Johns’ Target With Four Faces: A Study in Symbolic Ambiguity
By 1968, Jasper Johns had spent over a decade dismantling the boundaries between object and representation, and Target With Four Faces Ulae 55 stands as a pivotal work in this exploration. Created during his intensive collaboration with master printer Ken Tyler at ULAE (Universal Limited Art Editions), this lithograph distills Johns’ signature motifs—targets, faces, and found objects—into a composition that is at once precise and enigmatic. The target, a recurring symbol in his oeuvre since the mid-1950s, here becomes a stage for four ghostly plaster-cast faces, their hollow eyes and neutral expressions inviting projection rather than recognition.
The work’s origins lie in Johns’ broader MoMA-retrospective period, where he refined his engagement with printmaking as a medium capable of both repetition and variation. Unlike his earlier painted targets, which often employed encaustic’s tactile surfaces, this lithograph leverages the mechanical precision of printmaking to create a flattening effect—paradoxically rendering the three-dimensional casts as two-dimensional forms. The tension between the target’s geometric rigidity and the faces’ organic irregularity encapsulates Johns’ enduring fascination with dualities: presence and absence, the personal and the impersonal.
The ULAE Years: Johns’ Printmaking Revolution
Johns’ collaboration with ULAE between 1960 and 1971 produced some of the most technically innovative prints of the 20th century. As the Metropolitan Museum of Art notes, this period saw Johns treat printmaking not as a reproductive medium but as a site for experimentation—layering, embossing, and incorporating unconventional materials like plaster casts. Target With Four Faces Ulae 55 emerges from this phase, where Johns exploited lithography’s capacity for tonal gradation to render the faces with a spectral quality, their features emerging from the stone’s grain like memories half-recalled.
The four faces, cast from the same mold but printed in varying opacities, disrupt the target’s symmetry. Their arrangement—two at the top, two at the bottom—creates a vertical axis that bisects the composition, forcing the viewer’s gaze to oscillate between the target’s bullseye and the faces’ empty sockets. This dialog between abstraction and figuration became a hallmark of Johns’ work, challenging the Modernist dogma that demanded a clear distinction between the two. By 1968, Johns had long abandoned the notion of a singular "correct" interpretation, instead embedding ambiguity into the work’s very structure.
The faces in Target With Four Faces Ulae 55 are neither portraits nor masks but occupational hazards—traces of the artist’s process that refuse to be resolved into meaning. Their hollow eyes mirror the target’s void, turning the print into a meditation on how we project identity onto empty signs.
Lithography as a Site of Conflict
The Plaster Casts: From Sculpture to Print
Johns began using plaster casts of body parts in the early 1960s, initially as three-dimensional objects attached to paintings. For Target With Four Faces, he adapted these casts into lithographic elements by pressing them into the stone, creating a relief that held ink. The resulting prints retain the texture of the plaster’s surface—visible in the subtle pitting around the faces’ noses and chins—while flattening their volume into a single plane. This tension between the casts’ original tactility and their printed two-dimensionality underscores Johns’ interest in how mediums transform meaning.
Layering and Registration
The target’s concentric rings were printed separately from the faces, requiring meticulous registration to align the layers. Johns exploited slight misalignments to introduce a flicker of instability into the composition, a technique he described as "allowing the process to show." The gray field surrounding the target and faces was achieved through a gradient roll, where ink was applied unevenly to the stone, creating a vignette effect that draws the viewer’s focus inward. This gradient also serves to unify the disparate elements, binding the faces to the target despite their conceptual disparities.
Own This Icon of Neo-Dada Innovation
This 30×40 cm framed print captures Johns’ masterful lithography in archival detail, presented in a gallery-quality frame with UV-protective glazing. Free worldwide shipping ensures your print arrives ready to display, with no hidden costs or import fees.
Add to Cart — Ships FreeDisplaying Target With Four Faces Ulae 55: A Curatorial Guide
The print’s monochromatic palette and geometric structure make it remarkably versatile for contemporary interiors. In minimalist spaces, its gray tones and crisp lines complement concrete floors or matte black furniture, while the faces’ organic forms soften the severity of modernist decor. For maximalist settings, the target’s graphic punch holds its own amid patterned textiles or vibrant accent walls—try positioning it opposite a deep navy or forest green wall to amplify its contrast.
Given its 30×40 cm dimensions, the print works equally well in intimate and expansive settings. Above a console table in a narrow hallway, it draws the eye along the corridor; in a living room, it anchors a gallery wall when paired with other Johns works or Neo-Dada pieces. Avoid direct sunlight to preserve the lithograph’s tonal subtleties, and consider a thin mat in the frame to enhance the sense of depth between the target and the faces.
What framing options are included, and how is the quality ensured?
Each print arrives in a contemporary gallery frame with a neutral profile that complements the artwork without competing with it. The framing uses archival materials, including acid-free mats and UV-filtering acrylic glazing to protect against fading. The craftsmanship meets conservation standards to ensure longevity.
Where do you ship, and how long does delivery take?
We offer free shipping to all countries, with no minimum purchase required. Delivery typically takes 5–10 business days, depending on your location. All international orders include tracking and are fully insured against damage or loss in transit.
How do you ensure the print’s colors remain vibrant over time?
The lithograph is produced using pigment-based inks on pH-neutral, cotton-rag paper that meets museum standards for lightfastness. When displayed away from direct sunlight and in the included UV-protective frame, the print will retain its original tonal range for decades.
What is your return policy?
We offer a 30-day return window for all framed prints. If you’re not completely satisfied, contact our support team to initiate a return. The print must be in its original condition and packaging. Once received, we’ll process a full refund, excluding any return shipping costs.
Sources & Further Reading
- The Museum of Modern Art. "Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror." moma.org
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Jasper Johns (1930–)." metmuseum.org
- ULAE. "Jasper Johns: The Prints." ulae.com
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This framed lithograph arrives ready to hang, with archival materials and free worldwide shipping. Delivery is estimated within 5–10 business days, with tracking provided. Own a piece of Neo-Dada history today.
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