Jasper Johns | MoMA

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Wikipedia entry
Introduction
Jasper Johns (born May 15, 1930) is an American painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker. Considered a central figure in the development of American postwar art, he has been variously associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art movements. Johns was born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in South Carolina. He graduated as valedictorian from Edmunds High School in 1947 and briefly studied art at the University of South Carolina before moving to New York City and enrolling at Parsons School of Design. His education was interrupted by military service during the Korean War. After returning to New York in 1953, he worked at Marboro Books and began associations with key figures in the art world, including Robert Rauschenberg, with whom he had a romantic relationship until 1961. The two were also close collaborators, and Rauschenberg became a profound artistic influence. Johns's art career took a decisive turn in 1954 when he destroyed his existing artwork and began creating paintings of flags, maps, targets, letters, and numbers for which he became most recognized. These works, characterized by their incorporation of familiar symbols, marked a departure from the individualism of Abstract Expressionist style and posed questions about the nature of representation. His use of familiar imagery, such as the American flag, played on the ambiguity of symbols, and this thematic exploration continued throughout his career in various mediums, including sculpture and printmaking. Among other honors, Johns received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 1988, the National Medal of Arts in 1990, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1973 and the American Philosophical Society in 2007. He has supported the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and contributed significantly to the National Gallery of Art's print collection. Johns is also a co-founder of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. He currently lives and works in Connecticut. In 2010, his 1958 painting Flag was sold for a reported $110 million in a private transaction, becoming the most expensive artwork sold by a living artist.
Wikidata
Q155057
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Getty record
Introduction
American painter, sculptor, and printmaker who was one of the leaders of the Pop Art movement of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He is best known for his images of targets, flags, maps, and other instantly recognizable subjects. Although he attended the University of South Carolina for over a year and later briefly attended an art school in New York, Johns is largely considered a self-taught artist.
Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Roles
Artist, Assemblage Artist, Lithographer, Collagist, Graphic Artist, Illustrator, Painter, Pastelist, Pastellist, Photographer, Sculptor
Name
Jasper Johns
Ulan
500022247
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Information from Getty’s Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License

Works

446 works online

Exhibitions

View all 165 exhibitions

Audio

Publications

  • Just Above Midtown: Changing Spaces Edited by Thomas (T.) Jean Lax and Lilia Rocio Taboada in collaboration with Linda Goode Bryant, 2022 Exhibition catalogue, Paperback, 184 pages
  • MoMA Highlights: 375 Works from The Museum of Modern Art Introduction by Glenn D. Lowry, 2019 Flexibound, 408 pages
  • MoMA Now: Highlights from The Museum of Modern Art—Ninetieth Anniversary Edition Introduction by Glenn D. Lowry, 2019 Hardcover, 424 pages
  • Being Modern: Building the Collection of the Museum of Modern Art Edited by Quentin Bajac, 2017 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover, 288 pages
  • Jasper Johns: Regrets Ann Temkin, Christophe Cherix, 2014 Hardcover, 72 pages
  • Ileana Sonnabend: Ambassador for the New Ann Temkin and Claire Lehmann, 2013 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover, 172 pages
  • Jasper Johns Carolyn Lanchner, 2009 Paperback, 48 pages
  • Jasper Johns: A Retrospective Kirk Varnedoe. Essay by Roberta Bernstein, 1996 Exhibition catalogue, Paperback, 408 pages
  • Jasper Johns: A Retrospective Kirk Varnedoe. Essay by Roberta Bernstein, 1996 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover, 408 pages
  • Jasper Johns: A Retrospective Kirk Varnedoe. Essay by Roberta Bernstein, 1996 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover (reprint), 408 pages
  • Jasper Johns: Writings, Sketchbook Notes, Interviews Edited by Kirk Varnedoe. Compiled by Christel Holkvoet, 1996 Paperback, 320 pages
  • Jasper Johns: A Print Retrospective Riva Castleman, 1986 Exhibition catalogue, Paperback, pages
  • Jasper Johns Lithographs Riva Castleman, 1970 Exhibition catalogue, pages
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