Artist: Jasper Johns
Title: Untitled (from The Geldzahler Portfolio)
Medium: Etching
Edition: 26/75
Sheet Size: 29.75" × 22"
Image Size: 17.75" x 11.75"
Year: 1998
Publisher: Gemini G.E.L.
Inscription: Signed, dated, and numbered 26/75 in pencil
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
"Untitled" from The Geldzahler Portfolio is an etching by Jasper Johns, created in 1998. This work is number 26 from a limited edition of 75 and is hand-signed, dated, and numbered in pencil on the lower margin by the artist. The print also bears the Gemini G.E.L. blindstamps and inkstamp on the verso, confirming its production at the prestigious Los Angeles print workshop. Purchase of this work includes a gallery certificate of authenticity.
The etching exemplifies Johns' distinctive approach to printmaking, blending abstraction with references to familiar imagery. The intricate etched lines and layered textures create depth and visual complexity, reflecting the artist's ongoing exploration of perception, symbols, and the intersections of everyday objects with high art. The piece highlights Johns' continued innovation in technique and concept during the late 1990s.
This work is part of The Geldzahler Portfolio, a collaborative project honoring the influential curator Henry Geldzahler and supporting the Estate Project for Artists with AIDS. The portfolio includes contributions from other prominent artists of the era, including Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, and Roy Lichtenstein, and has been exhibited in and acquired by major institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
"Untitled" demonstrates Jasper Johns' mastery of printmaking and his engagement with conceptual and formal experimentation. Its inclusion in The Geldzahler Portfolio underscores both its artistic significance and its broader cultural relevance, reflecting the artist's pivotal role in contemporary art at the close of the twentieth century.
Jasper Johns - Early Life and Education
Jasper Johns was born in Augusta, Georgia, and raised in South Carolina. He graduated as valedictorian from Edmunds High School in 1947 and briefly studied art at the University of South Carolina before moving to New York City and enrolling at Parsons School of Design. His education was interrupted by military service during the Korean War. After returning to New York in 1953, he worked at Marboro Books and began associations with key figures in the art world, including Robert Rauschenberg, with whom he had a romantic relationship until 1961. The two were also close collaborators, and Rauschenberg became a profound artistic influence.
Artistic Development and Major Works
Johns' art career took a decisive turn in 1954 when he destroyed his existing artwork and began creating paintings of flags, maps, targets, letters, and numbers for which he became most recognized. These works, characterized by their incorporation of familiar symbols, marked a departure from the individualism of Abstract Expressionist style and posed questions about the nature of representation. His use of familiar imagery, such as the American flag, played on the ambiguity of symbols, and this thematic exploration continued throughout his career in various mediums, including sculpture and printmaking.
Exhibition History and Museum Placements
Johns has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions at major institutions worldwide, including:
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
- Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Tate Modern, London
- Centre Pompidou, Paris
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
- The Broad, Los Angeles
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA)
In 2021, a major retrospective titled Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror was jointly organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, showcasing over 500 works spanning his career Whitney Museum.
Awards and Honors
Johns' contributions to the art world have been recognized with several prestigious awards:
- Golden Lion, 43rd Venice Biennale, 1988
- National Medal of Arts, 1990
- Praemium Imperiale, 1993
- Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2011
He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1973 and the American Philosophical Society in 2007. He has supported the Merce Cunningham Dance Company and contributed significantly to the National Gallery of Art's print collection. Johns is also a co-founder of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.
Legacy and Influence
Johns' work has had a profound influence on contemporary art, challenging traditional notions of representation and encouraging viewers to reconsider the familiar. His innovative use of everyday symbols and materials has paved the way for subsequent generations of artists. Despite achieving significant commercial success, Johns has remained a private figure, allowing his work to speak for itself.
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