A 2003 lithograph by John Himmelfarb featuring a grid of abstract symbols and glyphs in earthy brown tones.

Mixing Semi-Fours is a lithograph by the American artist John Himmelfarb, produced in 2003. The work displays the artist's characteristic approach to visual language, where individual symbols and glyphs are organised into a structured, grid-like arrangement. Himmelfarb often employs a lexicon of invented forms, which appear to hover between the mechanical and the organic. These shapes are contained within irregular, hand-drawn compartments, creating a sense of order imposed upon a chaotic array of imagery.

The composition relies on a monochromatic palette, using a warm, earthy brown against a textured, off-white background. This choice of colour creates a visual rhythm, drawing the eye across the surface as one attempts to decipher the individual components. Some forms suggest recognisable objects, such as tools, botanical elements, or numerical figures, while others remain purely abstract. The lines are deliberate and steady, providing a clear definition to each cell within the larger structure.

Himmelfarb's practice frequently engages with the concept of communication and the way humans categorise information. By isolating these disparate elements into a compartmentalised format, the artist invites the viewer to consider the relationship between the parts and the whole. The work avoids a singular narrative, instead offering a collection of visual data that encourages individual interpretation. The texture of the paper and the application of the ink suggest a tactile quality, typical of Himmelfarb's printmaking process. This piece is a clear example of his ability to balance complex, dense imagery with a clean, graphic sensibility, resulting in a work that is both visually engaging and conceptually open-ended.