Between 1959 and 1962, Jasper Johns produced a series of Device paintings by utilizing a wooden slat or ruler to scrape the wet surface of the canvas and form semi-circular shapes. Johns then affixed this mark-making “device” to the painting itself. Here, Johns’ symmetrical arrangement of paint-stained rulers and a piece of wood acknowledges the active relationship between the artist, his tools, and the final work, even evoking the gesture of sweeping arms. In addition, the artist has stenciled the words “gray” and “device” onto the work’s surfaces, prompting comparisons of the ways in which verbal and visual signs allow us to communicate. By emphasizing the manner in which he produced the painterly marks on this work, as well as literally naming its important properties, Johns signals a very deliberate approach to constructing a painting.