Jasper Johns established his position as a central figure in American art with his first solo show in New York in 1958. His work took a decisive new path in an art world where Abstract Expressionism had previously dominated, by treating symbols, words and iconography that “the mind already knows” in new ways. In his hands, household objects like mops and lightbulbs and familiar symbols including flags, targets, numbers and maps became unfamiliar, only “something resembling truth”.
This exhibition is the first complete survey of Johns’s work in the UK for 40 years. It brings together over 150 ground-breaking paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, many of which rarely travel from international private and public collections. These reveal the artist’s constant drive to experiment with materials such as encaustic and collage, and chart his remarkable development from the 1960s right up to the present day. Johns will also create new work for our Main Galleries, confirming his status as one of the most vital and influential artists still working today.
Jasper Johns,Flag, 1967. Encaustic and collage on canvas. 85.1 x 142.9 cm. The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Collection © Jasper Johns/VAGA, New York/DACS, London.
