Jasper Johns creates drawings, sculptures, and paintings that challenge conventional notions of art and depict “the things the mind already knows.” Often made using encaustic on canvas or paper, at times with embedded newsprint, his compositions feature ubiquitous symbols, including targets, numbers, and American flags. Although the meaning of his flag series remains open to interpretation, one theory is that in 1954 Johns dreamt that he painted a flag, prompting him to begin the series, which he continued every morning for the next five years. His use of familiar imagery marked departure from abstract expressionism; while his work draws on the movement’s visual language, Johns emphasized conscious control rather than spontaneity.
Born and raised in the American South, Johns moved to New York City to pursue his art career, briefly attending the Parsons School of Design and later befriending abstract expressionist Robert Rauschenberg. Following his solo debut at the Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, he regularly exhibited there for more than forty years.
Image Courtesy of AP
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