Isabella Flores
Jasper Johns is an American painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker, born in 1930. He is considered a central figure in the development of American postwar art and has been associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art movements. Johns is known for his paintings of maps, flags, targets, and other common objects, often using encaustic and oil paint. This paragraph will explore the paints and techniques Johns used in his map paintings, specifically in the 2009 painting 'Fragment of a Letter'.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Jasper Johns |
| Born | 15 May 1930 |
| Medium | Oil paint on canvas |
| Year of creation | 1961 |
| Dimensions | 198.2 cm x 314.7 cm |
| Colours | Red, yellow, blue, black, and white |
| Style | Abstract Expressionist |
| Subject | Map of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada |
| Current location | Museum of Modern Art, New York City |
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What You'll Learn
- Jasper Johns' Map (1961) is an oil-on-canvas painting
- The painting represents the overall proportions and shapes of the US states, parts of Mexico and Canada
- Johns was inspired by a gift from Robert Rauschenberg—mimeographed outline maps of US states
- Johns' rough brushwork resembles an Abstract Expressionist style
- Johns continued to make map paintings through the 1960s, including grey, white and mural versions
Jasper Johns' Map (1961) is an oil-on-canvas painting
Johns was inspired to create Map after receiving a gift from Robert Rauschenberg, consisting of mimeographed outline maps of US states, similar to those coloured by schoolchildren. Johns was intrigued by the idea of an image that is ubiquitous yet often overlooked, effectively a "found object". He copied the outlines of the map onto a large canvas, adding his distinctive splashes of colour. The names of the states and ocean areas are stencilled onto the painting, contributing to the mass-produced effect.
The use of familiar imagery, such as maps, flags, and targets, is a recurring theme in Johns' work. These symbols, which he refers to as "things the mind already knows", serve as a form of "nonabstract forms of abstraction", inviting viewers to look at everyday objects in a new light. Johns' Map, with its recognisable outlines of states, challenges the traditional boundaries of cartography by applying colour without regard to state borders, perhaps reflecting the blurring of boundaries and homogenisation of post-war American society.
Johns' Map is a significant addition to his repertoire, showcasing his unique approach to familiar subjects. The painting's large scale and prominent paint drips, which deviate from his earlier works, highlight the role of chance and accident in his creative process. Johns' Map, along with his other map paintings, invites viewers to consider the interplay between the familiar and the abstract, challenging our perceptions of well-known images.
Johns' work has had a profound impact on American postwar art, with his paintings, sculptures, and prints exploring the ambiguity of symbols and the nature of representation. His artistic journey began in 1954 when he destroyed his existing artwork and embarked on a new path, creating paintings of flags, maps, targets, letters, and numbers that would become his most recognised works. Johns' Map (1961) exemplifies his distinctive style and thematic exploration, solidifying his place in the art world.
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The painting represents the overall proportions and shapes of the US states, parts of Mexico and Canada
Jasper Johns is an American painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker, born in 1930 in Georgia and raised in South Carolina. He is considered a central figure in the development of American postwar art and has been associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art movements.
Johns' painting style underwent a significant change in 1954 when he began creating paintings of familiar symbols such as flags, maps, targets, letters, and numbers. These works marked a shift away from the individualism of Abstract Expressionist style and explored the nature of representation. One of his notable works from this period is the 1961 oil-on-canvas painting titled "Map."
"Map" represents the overall proportions and shapes of the US states, along with parts of Mexico and Canada. Johns carefully preserved the proportions of the map while adding bright splashes of primary colours—red, yellow, and blue—with accents of black and white. His rough brushwork and energetic application of paint contribute to an Abstract Expressionist style or a resemblance to the late works of Paul Cézanne.
The painting measures 198.2 centimetres (78.0 inches) in height and 314.7 centimetres (123.9 inches) in width. The names of the states and ocean areas are stencilled, although the colours do not always respect state borders, perhaps suggesting a blurring of boundaries in post-war American society. This intentional departure from traditional cartography may also be interpreted as a visual pun, as Johns "deliberately put American painting on the map" in the 1950s.
Johns' map paintings continued to evolve throughout the 1960s, with variations including grey versions in 1962 and 1963, a white map in 1965, and a large mural for Expo 67 in Montreal.
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Johns was inspired by a gift from Robert Rauschenberg—mimeographed outline maps of US states
In 1961, Jasper Johns created Map, an oil-on-canvas painting. The painting represents the overall proportions and shapes of the states of the United States, along with parts of Mexico and Canada. Johns was inspired to create this painting by a gift from Robert Rauschenberg—mimeographed outline maps of US states, of the sort that schoolchildren colour in. Johns was attracted to the image of the map as something that is ubiquitous but "seen and not looked at, not examined", effectively a found object.
Johns and Rauschenberg were romantic partners and collaborators. They met in the early 1950s in New York City, where they lived and worked in adjacent studios. Their partnership was a transformative force in the art world, as they challenged established norms and redefined what art could be. Their work together was instrumental in the emergence of Neo-Dada, a movement that challenged the dominance of Abstract Expressionism. They incorporated everyday objects and unconventional materials, laying the groundwork for future art movements such as Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and Pop Art.
Johns copied the outlines of the maps onto a large canvas, to which he added bright splashes of red, yellow, and blue, sometimes mixed, with accents of black and white. His rough brushwork resembles an Abstract Expressionist style or the late works of Paul Cézanne. The names of the states and ocean areas are stencilled, although the colours do not always respect state borders, perhaps suggesting the blurring of boundaries and homogenisation of post-war American society.
Johns continued to make map paintings throughout the 1960s, including grey versions in 1962 and 1963, a white map in 1965, and a mural for Expo 67 in Montreal. Some of Johns' other map paintings employ encaustic in place of oil paint.
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Johns' rough brushwork resembles an Abstract Expressionist style
Jasper Johns is an American painter, sculptor, draftsman, and printmaker, born in 1930. He is considered a central figure in the development of American postwar art and has been associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art movements. Johns's rough brushwork and energetic splashes of vibrant primary colours in his paintings, such as False Start, are reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism.
Johns's paintings of maps, flags, targets, letters, and numbers, characterised by their incorporation of familiar symbols, marked a departure from the individualism of Abstract Expressionist style. His use of well-known motifs imported into his art can be read as both representational and abstract, freeing him from decisions about composition. This use of familiar imagery played on the ambiguity of symbols, a thematic exploration that continued throughout his career in various mediums, including sculpture and printmaking.
Johns's gestural brushwork and energetic splashes of paint echo the gestural painting of Abstract Expressionists, while his use of text and conceptual framework anticipates Pop Art's engagement with language and commercial imagery. His questioning of colour perception and representation challenged fundamental assumptions about how art communicates. For example, in "False Start", Johns employs energetic brushwork and splashes of vibrant primary colours, creating a base of Abstract Expressionist-style painting.
Johns's approach to painting is characteristic of combining gestural brushwork with conceptual elements. In "False Start", patches of red, yellow, and blue are overlaid with contradictory colour names, creating a perceptual puzzle for viewers. This linguistic play reflects Johns's ongoing exploration of perception versus reality and his interest in signs, symbols, and the relationship between language and visual representation.
Johns's rough brushwork and energetic splashes of paint maintain the gestural qualities of Abstract Expressionism without its emotional intensity. Unlike the emotional turbulence of Abstract Expressionism, Johns approaches his subject with a cool intellectual detachment.
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Johns continued to make map paintings through the 1960s, including grey, white and mural versions
Jasper Johns is an American artist known for his paintings of maps, flags, targets, and other common objects. His map paintings include "Map", an oil-on-canvas painting from 1961, and a mural-sized work also titled "Map" (Based on Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion Airocean World) from 1967–1971.
Johns' "Map" (1961) represents the overall proportions and shapes of the states of the United States and parts of Mexico and Canada. The painting features bright splashes of primary colours—red, yellow, and blue—sometimes mixed, with accents of black and white. Johns' rough brushwork and energetic application of paint resemble an Abstract Expressionist style.
Johns' process for creating "Map" (1961) involved first copying a printed map freehand, carefully preserving its proportions. He then began painting quickly, changing brushes and colours, and working everywhere at the same time rather than in sections. He used stencils to put in the names or abbreviations of states and ocean areas.
Johns' mural-sized "Map" (1967–1971) was exhibited at the Montreal International and Universal Exposition in 1967. The artist subsequently reworked the painting, using charcoal over encaustic, drawing out similarities to his earlier "Study for Skin" series of drawings. This repainted version of "Map" emerged in 1971.
Johns' map paintings, along with his flag, target, and number paintings, marked a shift in the New York art world during the 1950s, introducing nonabstract forms of abstraction found in daily life into the realm of art.
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Frequently asked questions
Jasper Johns used oil paint on his 1961 painting 'Map'. The painting features the overall proportions and shapes of the states of the United States and parts of Mexico and Canada, with bright splashes of red, yellow, and blue, sometimes mixed, with accents of black and white.
Jasper Johns was inspired by a gift from Robert Rauschenberg—mimeographed outline maps of US states, of the sort that can be coloured in by schoolchildren. Johns was attracted to an image that is ubiquitous but "seen and not looked at, not examined", effectively a found object.
Yes, Johns continued to make map paintings throughout the 1960s, including grey versions in 1962 and 1963, a white map in 1965, and a mural for Expo 67 in Montreal. Other map paintings by Johns employ encaustic in place of oil paint.
Jasper Johns is a central figure in the development of American postwar art and has been associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art movements. He is known for his paintings of maps, flags, targets, letters, and numbers, as well as his sculptures, drawings, and prints.
