Jasper John’s Shades Of Gray Revealed

At The Metropolitan Museum of Art

February 4 to May 4, 2008

By Evonne Fitzgerald

Chronicle Staff Writer 

Now for the first time ever, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has assembled, from both American and International collectors, over 120 works by the celebrated American artist Jasper Johns (b. 1930); its Shades of Gray is a remarkable exhibition. These 120 pieces, which include paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, were created over the last forty years. The earliest was White Flags (1955). Obviously, this exhibition was long over due.  Jasper Johns was born in Allendale, South Carolina; he attended the University of South Carolina and Parsons School of Design. In New York City, he met fellow artist Robert Rauschenberg, and through his association with him in 1955, he was fortunate enough to meet Leo Castelli, owner of the Leo Castelli Gallery. By 1958, the three friends became powerful collaborators, who created a showplace for Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptual Art. It forever ended Abstract Expressionism’s hold on the art community.  The first painting you encounter, as you begin walking through the six galleries, is an uncomfortably-titled painting called False Start (1959). Its distinctiveness, on this occasion, stems from its strikingly rich and vibrant colors, but oddly enough, the name of this particular show is Shades of Gray; nevertheless, the curators knew what they’re doing. Hanging next to this colorful masterwork is Jubilee (1959), a painting that is somewhat similar in design but not in its form. Paired together, they manage to prepare the viewer for what will prove to be an extraordinary voyage. Each gallery presents an assortment of pieces that are utterly distinctive; the first part includes examples of Jasper John’s custom of embedding objects, (brooms, hangers, spoons), inside the paintings themselves, which is then followed by all-gray serial pieces, (maps, alphabets, numbers, targets, flags). The next section reflects works completed in the early 1960’s, (Frank O’Hara, In Memory of My Feelings, No, Liar), which are somewhat gloomy yet still maintain a characteristically objective stance. Following this section, we have four pieces that are exceptional: The Dutch Wives, Celine, Between the Clock, and the Bed. Next, we have Racing Thoughts, and Winter. The last section has the Catenary series. Have you read any of the works by the American poet Hart Crane? The show concludes with two never before exhibited pieces: Beckett (2005), and Within (1983, 2005 and 2007). Obviously, I’ve only had time here to mention a few of the many wonderful works on display in this exhibition; it is, in fact, a large show and easily worth two or three visits to really take in all it has to offer.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street 212 535-7710 Ref: Metropolitan Exhibition Guide