The Critic Sees, from the portfolio Ten From Leo Castelli

This work is one of several iterations of the theme “The Critic Sees” by Jasper Johns. A 1964 version took the form of a metal brick bearing a pair of sculpted glasses, with open mouths behind the lenses. This later print features the brick embossed on a white sheet, the word “mouth” visible through the lenses of the glasses. The Critic Sees was created by Johns as a response to one of his critics, who commented on the artist’s work despite only having visited the gallery for a few minutes. In substituting the word “mouth” for eyes, Johns implies that while journalists might have much to say about his work, they are not truly seeing his art at all. As the artist once noted in an interview, “I never wish for critics.”