Jasper JOHNS
BIO
Known for representing commonplace imagery and objects in his iconic work, Johns is distinguished for having broken down the traditional division between fine art and mass culture through his practice. Johns’ use of semiotic images beginning in the late 1950s stood in direct opposition to the abstractions of the dominating Abstract Expressionist artists before him and furthermore laid the foundation for the Pop art movement’s embrace of commodity culture. In addition to his numerous accolades, international exhibitions, and placements in the world’s most prestigious permanent art collections, Jasper Johns received in February 2011 the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barak Obama, becoming the first painter or sculptor to receive this award since 1977.