False Start, 1959By Jasper Johns

Elevating commonplace objects to the status of fine art, breakout artist Jasper Johns created a series of flag and target images that stunned the art world. Originally a commercial artist, Johns questioned and reinvented the premises of painting, and has explored screen-printing, photo reproductions, neon, metal, “cross-hatch” patterning, three-dimensional objects and literal renderings of items such as planks and faucets. Interested in the relationship between an image and its medium, Johns frequently revisits the same subjects using different techniques. The work of Jasper Johns profoundly influenced the development of the Pop, Minimal, Process, Conceptual and Performance Art movements in the United States and Europe.