Jasper Johns

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 1978

Universal Limited Art Editions, The Prints of Jasper Johns 1960-1993: A Catalogue Raisonné, West Islip, New York 1994, cat. no. 128 
Exh. Cat., New York, The Museum of Modern Art, Jasper Johns: A Print Retrospective, 1986, p. 105, illustrated 
Exh. Cat., London, Anthony d'Offay Gallery, Jasper Johns Flags: 1955-1994, 1996, p. 81 

This work is in very good condition overall. There is a slight undulation to the sheet, inherent to the artist’s working method. The edges of the sheet are deckled. Under very close inspection, minor, soft creases are visible which is a common result of the printing process. The sheet is hinged to the mat intermittently along the verso. Framed under Plexiglas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

As early as the mid-1950s, Jasper Johns began experimenting with a concept that would culminate in the most pivotal moment in his artistic career. At the young age of twenty four, Johns dreamt of the illustrious Flag that would launch him on an artistic journey spanning decades. Printed almost twenty years later in 1973, Flags I is an important example of the artist’s philosophy. In the midst of Abstract Expressionism, Johns pursued different channels of artistic representation. “Using the design of the American flag took care of a great deal for me because I didn’t have to design it. So I went on to similar things like the targets—things the mind already knows. That gave me room to work on other levels” (Exh. Cat., London, Anthony D’Offay Gallery, Jasper Johns Flags, 1996, p. 15). For Johns, the flag served as a tool through which he could explore the process of art making. Without the burden of conceptualizing the final product, Johns was free to focus on the mediums with which he worked, and engage more deeply with the creative process.

The current example introduces the concept of repetition both in its physical form and in the process of creation. Johns alters the orientation and duplicates the image, yet maintains the fixed qualities of the flag. Silkscreen printing was developed from the basic stencil process—a silk or mesh screen stretches over the frame of the printing bed, holding the details in place while the artist squeegees the ink across the negative space. An inherently commercial process, screen printing was adapted to easily reproduce content for advertisements. In the case of Flags I, Johns employs this commercial process to reproduce his rendition of the American flag.

“Johns was precocious, but it’s quite a common phenomenon for artists to produce masterpieces before they are thirty. What is rare, really rare, especially in our century, is to do that and then, like Johns, be producing masterpieces forty years later” (David Sylvester in Exh. Cat., London, Anthony d’Offay Gallery, Jasper Johns Flags: 1955-1994, 1996, p. 15). This work illustrates Johns’ unique endeavor with ‘things the mind already knows.’ Johns’ first Flag utilized the familiar image of the American flag as a base for his creation. In 1973, Flags I reads not as an image of the American flag, but instead as a reproduction of his own image. What once existed solely as a national symbol took on new meaning as a testament to his artistic prowess.