Jasper
Johns

Johns’ work has consistently been among some of the most valuable in the art market. In 1980, the Whitney Museum of American Art paid $1 million for Three Flags, then the highest price ever paid for the work of a living artist. Less than a decade later, in 1988, his painting False Start sold for $17.05 million at Sotheby’s, also the highest price ever paid for a work by a living artist at auction. The same painting set the same record when sold again in 2006, this time for $80 million. A 2010 private sale of the work Flag once again set a record for highest price for a living artist, with the value being reported at $110 million. In 2014, a 1983 version of a Flag was auctioned for $36 million, setting an auction record for the artist.

Johns' decision to destroy his earlier works before 1954 marked a pivotal moment in his career, reflecting a profound shift in his artistic vision and approach. Before this, Johns' work was largely influenced by the prevailing artistic trends of the time, notably Abstract Expressionism. However, he found himself increasingly dissatisfied with his creations, feeling they lacked a distinct identity and did not adequately express his artistic voice.

In a bold and almost cathartic move, Johns destroyed nearly all of his artwork created before 1954. This act signified not just the physical destruction of his earlier pieces but also a symbolic break from his past influences and techniques. It was as if Johns was clearing the canvas of his career, ready to embark on a new and more authentic path. This decision is often seen as a rejection of the then-dominant style, which emphasised spontaneous and gestural creations. Johns sought a different direction, one that engaged more directly with the objecthood of art and the representation of everyday items.

Freed from his previous style, Johns began experimenting with new subjects and methods, leading to the creation of his famous Flag paintings in 1954. These works marked a significant departure from his earlier art. By focusing on mundane, recognisable objects with deeply embedded meaning like the American flag, Johns challenged the existing notions of what art could be. His use of familiar imagery posed questions about perception, reality, and representation, setting the stage for the emergence of movements like Pop Art and Neo-Dada.

Johns' iconic series of Flag paintings, created from the mid-1950s onwards, stands as a profound commentary on the American dream and its complexities, especially in the context of the post-World War II era. Johns' military service during the Korean War was a significant influence on his worldview, providing a firsthand perspective on the realities of national identity and the sacrifices it entailed. This experience deeply informed his artistic exploration of the American flag as a subject. By depicting it in a way that was both familiar and jarring, Johns seemed to be commenting on the nature of these ideals – how they are perceived versus how they are experienced. This was particularly poignant in the context of the 1950s and 1960s, a period marked by intense political and social change in the United States. Issues like civil rights, the Cold War and the aftermath of World War II were causing many to question and reevaluate the American dream.

Johns' choice of the flag as a central motif was revolutionary for several reasons. Firstly, it marked a stark departure from the Abstract Expressionism that dominated the art scene at the time. Instead of the emotive, spontaneous brushwork characteristic of that movement, Johns presented a familiar, everyday object in a new light. The flag is laden with layers of meaning and symbolism, often associated with patriotism and national pride. Presenting these in a neutral, almost impersonal manner, Johns invites viewers to reconsider the flag not just as a symbol but as an object – an almost sacrilegious thing to do in the United States. His technique contributed to the thematic impact, as his use of encaustic paint – combined with collage elements like newspaper clippings – added a textured, sometimes almost decaying quality to some of the flag images. This method could be interpreted as a visual metaphor for the crumbling or questioning of the American dream: the idea that beneath the surface of national pride and unity were complexities and contradictions.