I have no ideas about what the paintings imply about the world. I don't think that's a painter's business. He just paints paintings without a conscious reason. Jasper Johns businessconsciousidea Change image and share on social
As one gets older one sees many more paths that could be taken. Artists sense within their own work that kind of swelling of possibilities, which may seem a freedom or a confusion. Jasper Johns artistconfusionfreedom Change image and share on social
My experience of life is that it's very fragmented; certain kinds of things happen, and in another place, a different kind of thing occurs. I would like my work to have some vivid indication of those differences. Jasper Johns differenceexperiencefragment share on social
There was very little art in my childhood. I was raised in South Carolina; I wasn't aware of any art in South Carolina. There was a minor museum in Charleston, which had nothing of interest in it. It showed local artists, paintings of birds. Jasper Johns artartistaware share on social
I am just trying to find a way to make pictures. Jasper Johns findmakepicture Change image and share on social
I decided that if my work contained what I could identify as a likeness to other work, I would remove it.' Jasper Johns containdecideidentify Change image and share on social
At first I had some idea that the absence of color made the work more physical. Early on I was very involved with the notion of the painting as an object and tended to attack that idea from different directions. Jasper Johns absenceattackcolor share on social
Sometime during the mid-50s I said, 'I am an artist.' Before that, for many years, I had said, 'I'm going to be an artist.' Then I went through a change of mind and a change of heart. What made 'going to be an artist' into 'being an artist', was, in part, a spiritual change. Jasper Johns 50sartistchange share on social
To me, self-description is a calamity. Jasper Johns calamitydescription Change image and share on social
I tend to like things that already exist. Jasper Johns existtendthing Change image and share on social
