When Jasper Johns (born 1930) had his first one-person exhibition--in 1958, at the age of 27--its impact was widespread and immediate. Since then, as his influence has grown, his work has evolved, circling back to familiar subjects while opening up new formal and thematic frontiers. In his recent drawings, prints and paintings, Johns traces the shifting meaning of old and new motifs while contending with his own rich artistic past, revisiting his Seasons paintings of the mid-1980s and his extensive collection of visual materials.
Recent Paintings and Works on Paper accompanies the artist's first exhibition of new work in five years and presents paintings, prints and drawings that show the artist at his self-reflexive best. Extensively illustrated with over 70 full-color plates, the book chronicles a new creative chapter in the life of an artist with few peers.