Man, when I look back in time I realize I’ve been a nerd for pretty much my whole life. Hard to believe (Ha!), but true. For example, I would sluff high-school more than I should have, but usually I was just up at the library researching and learning about art history and artists like Jasper Johns.
On one of those vacations to the library I remember drawing and cross-hatching, trying to make an American flag similar to Johns. His flags were (and are) beautiful! I’ve never been one who gives 50-60’s pop art much of my attention, but there was something about Jasper Johns and his flag, target, and map paintings that has always appealed to me. That drawing I did of the flag is one of the things that helped teach me to move past copying someone else’s artwork. I discovered that, even though I really loved Jasper’s flags, I had my own ideas. But Jasper Johns is definitely someone who I learned from.
You may wonder why the hell Jasper Johns wanted to paint flags in the first place. Maybe it is because he came of age artistically while Abstract Expressionism was still the dominant aesthetic. The idea behind Abstract Expressionism is that a flat canvas should never be more than a flat canvas, and paint should never be more than paint. It was also considered to be dishonest to try and make the materials into something more than they are, which meant that an Abstract Expressionist typically tried not to portray any kind of subject or symbol in their artwork.
Well, Jasper Johns took the basic ideas behind Abstract Expressionism, but began reintroducing flat shapes and symbols that kept an abstract quality (like a flag, target, or map) and allowed him to experiment with color and texture. Make sense? It is actually very interesting to me conceptually, but makes me feel like a goof-ball when I write it down. The truth is, he probably just really liked flags!
Another series that has nothing to do with flags or maps that I have visited many times over the years, and have made special trips to see, is Jasper’s “the Seasons“.
I guess the reason behind this train of thought is because today is the 4th of July. Potato salad, fireworks, flags and Jasper Johns.
So put your hand on your heart!
