Masterpieces, the cliché goes, spring fully formed from the dark imaginations of temperamental geniuses moved by intuition, inspiration, and epiphany. Such revelations can certainly fuel the creative process, but so too can auspicious accidents, false starts, or even failures. In printmaking, these occurrences are typically recorded in preliminary impressions known as working proofs. Printmaking thus affords an exceptional opportunity to examine this complex and contingent aspect of the creative process. Yes, No, Maybe looks at sequences of artistic choices by juxtaposing fully resolved prints and related working proofs produced at the influential studio Crown Point Press between 1972 and 2010. Some 80 prints are featured by a range of artists, from the renowned Richard Diebenkorn, John Cage, and Chuck Close to the more recently acclaimed Mamma Andersson, Julie Mehretu, and Chris Ofili.

Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Schedule: National Gallery of Art, Washington, September 1, 2013–January 5, 2014.

Passes: Passes are not required for this exhibition.

The exhibition will be on view in the West Building of the National Gallery of Art, Ground Floor.