Jasper Johns: Influential American Artist's Career and Legacy

Jasper Johns, born May 15, 1930 in Augusta, Georgia, is a prominent American artist known for transforming ordinary symbols like flags, targets, maps, and numbers into iconic artworks. His innovative approaches to painting, printmaking, and sculpture between 1955 and 1965 significantly influenced both Pop Art and Minimalism. Johns' works are held in major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum, with the National Gallery of Art acquiring approximately 1,700 of his proofs in 2007. His paintings command high auction prices, with his flag imagery being particularly celebrated. Now 94, Johns continues to produce a limited number of works annually.