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Exhibition Introduction

Note to the Reader
Acknowledgments

Introduction
Keith
John
Leslie
Self-Portrait

Introduction
Touched Red
Green
Combination
High Green Version 1

Introduction
17 Drawings by Thoreau
Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
Changes and Disappearances
Where R=Ryoanji
Fire
The Missing Stone
75 Stones
Eninka
Stones
Where There is Where There

Introduction
Anne Appleby
Pia Fries
Darren Almond
Susan Middleton
Joel Fisher
Brad Brown
Tom Marioni

Introduction
Mamma Andersson
Sol LeWitt
Fred Wilson
Robert Bechtle
Kiki Smith

Introduction
Julie Mehretu
Wayne Thiebaud
Jockum Nordström
Tomma Abts
Nathan Oliveira
Chris Ofili

Introduction
Pat Steir
Laura Owens
Wayne Thiebaud
Amy Sillman

John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Title page, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Introductory text by John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Detail, Introductory Essay by John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day One
etching and drypoint
plate: 1 1⁄4 × 2 3⁄4 (3.2 × 7)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day Two
etching, drypoint, and softground etching
plate: 1 3⁄16 × 4 1⁄8 (3 × 10.5)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day Three
etching, drypoint, softground etching, and sugarlift
aquatint
plate: 7 1⁄16 × 2 1⁄4 (17.9 × 5.7)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day Four
etching, drypoint, softground etching, sugarlift aquatint,
and photo-etching
plate: 10 1⁄16 × 3⁄4 (25.6 × 1.9)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day Five
etching, drypoint, softground etching, sugarlift aquatint,
photo-etching, and found objects
plate: 1 1⁄2 × 6 5⁄8 (3.8 × 16.8)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day Six
etching, drypoint, softground etching, sugarlift aquatint,
photo-etching, found objects, and color etching
plate: 7 3⁄16 × 5 3⁄4 (18.3 × 14.6)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust
John Cage, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)
1978
portfolio of seven prints with title page and frontispiece
each sheet: 12 × 17 (30.5 × 43.2)
Day Seven
etching, drypoint, sugarlift aquatint, photo-etching, found
objects, and color etching
plate: 5 × 3 (12.7 × 7.6)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown,
1996
© John Cage Trust

For his initial, week-long visit to Crown Point Press, Cage conceived a program to learn a new printmaking technique each day. He performed chance operations daily to select a new technique to add to his repertoire; the schedule is listed on the diary’s title page (see detail, below). Insecure about his drawing skills, Cage decided to work blind. Making marks — the quantity determined by chance — with his eyes closed, he effectively translated drawing from an aesthetic endeavor into a numeric formula.

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Detail, John Cage, Title page, Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing), 1978, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Kathan Brown, 1996, © John Cage Trust

Banner image: Detail, John Cage, Eninka 29, 1986, burned, smoked, and branded gampi mounted to paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Crown Point Press, 1996, © John Cage Trust

Next: John Cage, Changes and Disappearances, 1979–1982

"Yes, No, Maybe: The Art of Making
Decisions," lecture by exhibition curators Judith Brodie and Adam Greenhalgh (audio)

Julie Mehretu, artist, in conversation with curator Judith Brodie, Diamonstein-Spielvogel lecture (audio)

"An Insider's Perspective," lecture by Kathan Brown, founder of Crown Point Press (audio)

Exhibition tour by curators Judith Brodie and Adam Greenhalgh (audio)

John Cage in the collection of the National Gallery of Art

Crown Point Press prints in the collection of the National Gallery of Art

Press release