Jasper Johns, Flag, 1967. Lithograph. © Jasper Johns/ Universal Limited Art Editions, 1967/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012
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Jasper Johns, Flags, 1968. Lithograph. © Jasper Johns/ Universal Limited Art Editions, 1968/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012
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Jasper Johns, Flags II, 1970. Lithograph. © Jasper Johns/ Universal Limited Art Editions, 1970/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012
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Jasper Johns, 0-9, 1963. Lithograph. Published by Universal Limited Art Editions
© Jasper Johns/ Universal Limited Art Editions, 1963/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY. © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2012
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Flags, targets, maps—the everyday motifs of Jasper Johns’ searly paintings were a radical answer to the transcendent and almost sacred aims of Abstract Expressionism. At the same time, the 1930-born painter paved the way for Pop and Minimal Art. In 1960, Tatyana Grosman, the founder of Universal Limited Art Editions
(ULAE), invited him to use her print workshop to add another dimension
to his work. At ULAE, Johns began experimenting with the possibilities
of a medium that was still new to him. It marked the beginning of an
intense cooperation that continues to this day. Now, the
exhibition Pares, Trios y Álbuns, on view at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake,
São Paulo through August 26, shows how creatively Johns utilized the
various graphic techniques. The exhibition presents around 70 prints
and is sponsored by Deutsche Bank,
which has already cooperated with the renowned institute in 2011: the
striking building with its colorful Futurist façade housed the
show Beuys and Beyond—Teaching as Art with works from the Deutsche Bank Collection in a dialogue with contemporary Brazilian art.
Pares, Trios y Álbuns
was a hit among the public and press alike: “The most important show of
the artist’s work in Brazil since one of his works was awarded at the
1967 Sao Paulo Biennale,” writes Veja, the country’s leading news magazine, while Vogue Brazil
adds: “Anyone who visits the exhibition at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake
will see how Jasper Johns revolutionized the art world.” And this can
be seen not only in his paintings, but also in his graphic works. At
the center of the show are prints the artist made at the ULAE print
workshop, which organized the exhibition together with the Instituto
Tomie Ohtake. In his first lithographs, Johns further developed the
motifsof his iconic paintings, while works such as Decoy
(1971), a collage-like composition, was made first as a print and only
later recreated in paint. It’s precisely this chance to compare various
different versions of a motif that makes it possible for the viewer to
follow the creative process in detail.
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