Past Things and Present: Jasper Johns Since 1983

Jasper Johns

ISBN 10: 0935640770 / ISBN 13: 9780935640779

Published by WALKER ART CENTER, 2003

Published on the occasion of the traveling exhibition curated by the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2003-2005). Johns' past two decades of work are presented through a selection of paintings, prints and drawings that trace a marked shift in his approach to art-making. This profusely illustrated volume is the first to look broadly at this period in the artist's career. With essays. Exhibition checklist, selected bibliography. 92 illus. 152p. Seller Inventory # 412999

Synopsis:

In 1984, Jasper Johns suggested to an interviewer that he had made a critical shift in his working process. “In my early work,” he said, “I tried to hide my personality, my psychological state, my emotions...I sort of stuck to my guns for a while, but eventually it seemed like a losing battle. Finally, one must simply drop the reserve.” His paintings of the 1980s and 90s bear this out: their imagery often includes objects and locations in his present studio and home, as well as allusions to memories of his childhood. These motifs are reiterated, altered, reworked and quoted in the context of new compositions, forming layered and complex spaces of recollection that merge past and present. This profusely illustrated volume, published in conjunction with an exhibition of paintings, prints and drawings organized by the Walker Art Center, is the first to look broadly at this period in Johns' career. All of the artist's major bodies of work from the past two decades--including those based on the Seasons, Green Angel and Catenary motifs--are covered in this study, with special consideration given to imagery appropriated from Picasso and Manet. Many of the works are published here for the first time, making this an invaluable tool for the study of Johns' work.

Synopsis: The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, which holds a complete collection of Johns' prints, conceived the exhibition held in 2004, for which this is the catalogue (the exhibition traveled to South Carolina, Scotland, Ireland, and Spain). There are three essays, including a lengthy essay by senior art historian Richard Shiff. The works are presented,

Bibliographic Details

Title: Past Things and Present: Jasper Johns Since ...
Publisher: WALKER ART CENTER
Publication Date: 2003
Binding: Oversized Hardcover
Condition: Good