Day Four from Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)

1978

John Cage

Associated Names
John Cage

Artist, American, 1912 - 1992

Stephen Thomas

Printer, American, active 1978

Crown Point Press

Publisher

A vertical rectangular shape is filled with chaotic, black lines on a beige background.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching, drypoint, softground etching, sugarlift aquatint, and photo-etching from a portfolio of seven etchings and drypoints on wove Rives paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Kathan Brown

  • Dimensions

    plate: 25.6 x 1.9 cm (10 1/16 x 3/4 in.)
    sheet: 30.5 x 43.2 cm (12 x 17 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1996.93.26.4

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Breuer 1997, no. 188

  • Copyright

    © John Cage Trust

Associated Artworks

See all 7 artworks
The image shows intersecting black lines on a light beige canvas. The lines are concentrated in a rectangular section at the bottom right corner, creating a tangled pattern resembling a bird's nest or bramble patch. The rest of the canvas is blank.

Day One from Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)

John Cage, Stephen Thomas, Crown Point Press

1978

This is a photograph of a printed page listing artistic techniques for a seven-day period. The image contains text headed "SEVEN DAY DIARY" in capital letters, followed by "Not Knowing" and "John Cage," with a date range from January 2 through January 8, 1978. Below, the page lists a schedule divided into seven days, each specifying different artistic techniques such as hard ground etching, drypoint, soft ground etching, sugar aquatint, photo etching, found objects, and color etching. The bottom of the page credits Stephen Thomas and Lilah Toland for printing, with a note about the edition and proofs, and mentions Crown Point Press, 1978, as the publisher. The text is neatly organized, with a formal presentation on a cream-colored background.

Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)

John Cage, Stephen Thomas, Crown Point Press

1978

The image displays a small rectangular section in the upper right quadrant. This section contains a dense network of overlapping black lines. The lines intertwine to create an abstract pattern. The rest of the canvas is blank with a pale beige background, enhancing the intricate detail within the rectangular section.

Day Two from Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing)

John Cage, Stephen Thomas, Crown Point Press

1978

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Acquired by NGA in 1996 directly from Kathan Brown.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1997

  • Thirty-five Years at Crown Point Press, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1997, no. 188*, as Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing): Day Four.

2013

  • Yes, No, Maybe: Artists Working at Crown Point Press, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1 Sep 2013 - 5 Jan 2014.

Bibliography

1997

  • Thirty-five Years at Crown Point Press. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington; The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1997-1998: no. 188*.

2013

  • Brodie, Judith, and Adam Greenhalgh. Yes, No, Maybe: Artists Working at Crown Point Press. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 2013, p. 76, pl. 9.4.

Inscriptions

"OK to print J.C." verso, lower left sheet, graphite, artist's hand. Not dated. "Cage: Seven Day Diary (Not Knowing) Day 4" verso, lower right sheet, graphite, unknown hand.

Markings

None.

Watermarks

None.

Wikidata ID

Q75403420

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