Viola Ulae 117 — Fine Art

Viola Ulae 117 uses the letter and number shapes Jasper Johns made into his own subject. The forms sit on a ground of flat paint, built up in thin layers. You read the marks as a set of signs before you notice the texture under them.

The fine art paper holds a matte surface, so the paint layers stay soft and the pale tones do not shine under a lamp. A dark frame on a pale wall keeps the letter marks separate from the background.

On a study desk the rows of letters look like a page someone left open. The shapes sit on the desk beside a lamp and a stack of books, and the desk line catches the edge of the picture.