Jasper Johns

Jasper Johns was born and raised in Allendale, South Carolina. He studied briefly at the University of South Carolina before moving to New York in the early 1950's. In 1954 he produced his first flag painting. These images of flags, targets and maps would set the tone for Pop Art. This movement was a reaction to Abstract Expressionism which dominated the artworld in the late 40's and 50's. Johns' work and those of other pop artists, notably Andy Warhol, bridge the gap between low art and high art. He chose everyday subject matter and combined it with a concern for the craft of painting. The artist experimented with textures and mediums, such as encaustic(hot wax). This further enhanced the idea that a painting of a target is not a reproduction of the object or the object but a different object all together. Art dealer Leo Castelli was so impressed with his innovation and his ability he offered him a show in 1958 after visiting Robert Rauschenberg's studio. The two artist's had become friends after working together creating window displays for Tiffany's. He also met a number of other artists including composer John Cage and choreopgrapher Merce Cunningham. John's was strongly influenced by the writings on logic of Austrian author Ludwig Wittgenstein and explores these ideas through painting. Jasper Johns concern for process led him to the printmaking media. Thirty years after Leo Castelli first introduced Jasper Johns to the art world his paintings commanded record prices for a living artist. His work is in every major museum collection.

Jasper Johns Images:
0 Through 9, 1961
Figure 2, 1963
Flag, 1954
Savarin, 1982
Three Flags
Ventriloquist, Moma