Art %C2%A9 Jasper Johns %2F Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society %28ARS%29%2C NY
Ale Cans, 1964
Color lithograph on Japan paperexpand_more
Gift of Bruce B. Daytonexpand_more P.72.55
Not on Viewexpand_more
A prolific and innovative printmaker, Jasper Johns frequently explored themes and subjects in more than one medium. In this color lithograph of 1964, Johns presents a two-dimensional portrayal of his cast bronze sculture of two Ballantine ale cans paintied to look like actiual beer cans.
Johns regulalry chose everyday objects and standardized images as subjects for his art. He depicted numbers, letters, flags, maps, and targets in simple, straightforward compositions. This approach allowed Johns to effectively "neutralize" his subjects and eliminate any suggestion of narrative content, forcing the viewer to examine the surface, texture, shading, and color of his artworks, that is, as ink on paper, paint on canvas, or cast bronze. For Johns, the artistic process was an integral aspect of the work of art itself. By deemphasizing the hand of the artist, his method also represented an unequivocal repudiation of the individualized self-expression and emotional intensity of the Abstract Expressionists.
Details
- Title
- Ale Cans
- Artist Life
- born 1930
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.72.55
- Provenance
- Bruce B. Dayton, Wayzata, Minn.; given to MIA, 1972.
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Field (1970) 47; ULAE 20
- Curator Approved
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Art © Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY