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Jasper Johns
Periscope
Courtesy of the artist
© Jasper Johns/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
A fixture in the pantheon of great American artists, Jasper Johns enjoys a rich and long-standing relationship with the Bay Area. SFMOMA's 2012-13 major survey of his work highlighted the symbiosis between his pioneering spirit and local audiences, bringing together the museum's extensive holdings of Johns's work and significant pieces from private collections in the area.
Often invoking familiar symbols and iconography, Johns transforms maps, flags, and numbers into lush, abstract compositions that transcend ordinary associations. His achievements in printmaking have earned him particular renown, affording opportunities for repetition and mediation that reveal surprising new avenues for artistic exploration. Johns's honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts — two of the highest awards bestowed on artists — and he is represented in the collections of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the National Gallery of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
