Jasper Johns - Definition and Overview

Jasper Johns, Jr. (born May 15, 1930 in Augusta, Georgia) is an American artist. He is best known for his painting Flag (1954). His work is often described as a 'Neo-Dadaist', as opposed to Pop Art, even though his subject matter often includes images and objects from popular culture. Early works were composed using simple schemas such as flags, maps, targets, letters and numbers. Johns' treatment of the surface is often lush and painterly; he is famous for incorporating such media as encaustic (wax-based paint), and plaster relief in his paintings. The contrast between the graphical symbolic subject matter and the loosely handled surface raises the question "can a painting be what it depicts?" Johns also produces sculptures and lithographs with similar motifs.