Jasper Johns’ light bulbs came from comic strips. They remain a constant that pops up in his sculpture, prints, paintings and drawings. Jasper Johns: Light Bulbs is a survey of their appearance from 1957 to 1976, in 17 prints and six sculptures, at the Henry Gallery.
Johns, who also has a starring role in Target Practice: Painting Under Attack, 1949-78
at the Seattle Art Museum, likes his bulbs burnt out, which is possibly
a joke on his status as the idea man of contemporary art.
I love this survey, which originated at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. Limited to one idea, the range of the artist’s material invention becomes evident.
Some light bulbs flicker before they go out, and some just go out.The world it is the old world yet.
At the Henry through Oct. 25.
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