Jasper Johns Born 1930 Can an ordinary object

Jasper Johns Born 1930

Can an ordinary object become art?

Is this art?

Can this be art?

This art was inspired by? Can you guess? Text •

Answer: Comic Books

Is this art?

These are all examples of : Pop Art It is the art of the 1950’s. Artists used popular American objects in paintings and sculpture.

Pop art is short for Popular art. It is inspiration or ideas that come from things we see and use every day. Pop art also “pops”- it uses bright colors and bold, strong design that makes you pay attention.

Jasper Johns • • • Born in 1930 in Augusta, GA. He grew up in South Carolina. • He was discovered by an art gallery owner who saw his work and instantly became “known”. He started drawing at age 3. In 1949, he studied at the University of South Carolina, but dropped out, then moved to New York. He attended an art school, but left because he was told his artwork was not good enough. He then designed window displays at Tiffany’s.

Jasper Johns: One of founders of Pop Art • • Three Flags was painted in 1958. The idea to paint a picture of a flag came to Johns in a dream. He used his dreams to come up with many ideas.

In Three Flags , Jasper Johns used a technique called: ENCAUSTIC This is done by mixing melted wax and paint and applying it to a surface while it is hot. The paint dries quickly when brushed on. •

Three Flags-1958 Only 48 stars on each flag. . . why? How is painting different than a real flag?

Answers: 1. Alaska and Hawaii weren’t states until 1959 & 1960. 2. How are they different? The flags behave unnaturally. . . they stand at attention instead of waving in the wind.

Three Characteristics found in the painting: • Rhythm - The straight lines of the stripes and consistency of colors and shapes create rhythm. Balance - The way the flags are arranged, equal on each side, symmetrical, and repetition helps move our eyes around the picture. Dominance • a. One part is more important than the other. b. Shapes can be dominant when one is larger than the other. • c. Colors that are used more often are dominant. Is there dominance in the painting Three Flags? YES

False Start Private art collectors in 2006 paid $80 million to Johns. (The most expensive price paid to a living artist)

Jasper Johns is still alive today (2011), and is living in Connecticut. Johns is at the forefront of American Art, his works are in most major museums.