Jasper Johns
American, 1930
Johns is a world-renowned American painter, sculptor and printmaker. He was born in Georgia in 1930, and studied art at the University of South Carolina before joining the U.S. Army. He is best known for his painting Flag, which he painted after having a dream of the American flag. His work is often described as Neo-Dadaist, as opposed to Pop Art, even though his subject matter often includes images and objects from popular culture. He was given a comprehensive retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1977, and in 1997 at The Museum of Modern Art, both in New York City. He has shown in major museums around the world, including the Museum Ludwig in Cologne; the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris; the Hayward Gallery in London; and the Seibu Museum of Art in Tokyo. In 1988 he was awarded the Grand Prix at the Venice Biennale.
“It’s simple. You just take something, and then you do something to it. Then you do something else to it. And then something else. Keep this up and pretty soon you’ve got something.”
Jasper Johns, St. Martin, 1992. © Jack Shear
