Past Things and Present

In 1984, Jasper Johns suggested to an interviewer that he had made a critical shift in his working process. "In my early work," he said, "I tried to hide my personality, my psychological state, my emotions...I sort of stuck to my guns for a while, but eventually it seemed like a losing battle. Finally, one must simply drop the reserve." His paintings of the 1980s and 90s bear this out: their imagery often includes objects and locations in his present studio and home, as well as allusions to memories of his childhood. These motifs are reiterated, altered, reworked and quoted in the context of new compositions, forming layered and complex spaces of recollection that merge past and present. This profusely illustrated volume, published in conjunction with an exhibition of paintings, prints and drawings organized by the Walker Art Center, is the first to look broadly at this period in Johns' career. All of the artist's major bodies of work from the past two decades--including those based on the Seasons, Green Angel and Catenary motifs--are covered in this study, with special consideration given to imagery appropriated from Picasso and Manet. Many of the works are published here for the first time, making this an invaluable tool for the study of Johns' work.