The Life And Work Of Jasper Johns

The Parrish Art Museum presents four programs that take a deep dive into the life and work of Jasper Johns, currently featured in the comprehensive survey “An Art of Changes: Jasper Johns Prints, 1960-2018” at the museum.

The first program, on Friday, June 17, is a screening of Michael Blackwood’s short documentary “Decoy,” followed by a talk with Alicia G. Longwell, Ph.D., Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Chief Curator, and artist/printmaker Lorena Salcedo-Watson who gained first-hand knowledge of Johns’s printmaking methodology though her extensive work with him at Universal Limited Art Editions. On three consecutive Thursdays, beginning June 16, Longwell will present informal lunchtime talks to discuss some of the dominant themes Johns explored throughout his career. In addition, several catalogues of work by the artist are available in the Museum Shop.

Film And Talk – “Decoy,” Friday, June 17, 6 p.m.

The short documentary “Decoy” (Directed by Michael Blackwood, 1972, 18 minutes) explores how Jasper Johns created a series of paintings and prints entitled “Decoy,” one of which is featured in this exhibition at the Parrish, that are rooted in the notions of reproduction, transformation, and memory.

Lunchtime Talks With Chief Curator Alicia Longwell – Thursdays, June 16, 23 and 30, From Noon To 1 p.m.

In three illustrated lunchtime talks, Longwell will discuss common themes explored by the Jasper Johns throughout his career. Guests are invited to preorder lunch through the Café at the Parrish to enjoy during the talk. A special offer includes a free regular coffee with any Café purchase, or a free bag of chips with the purchase of a salad or sandwich. Outside food is not permitted in the Museum.

Part I — Skin In The Game, June 16

During the 1960s, Johns experimented with unusual tools for making marks on his canvases and drawings. They included his own body, which he used to make imprints — a more direct way of adding his “touch” to an artwork than traditional means such as brush or pencil. The unusual self-portrait “Skin with O’Hara Poem” is a literal impression of the artist, rather than a painted likeness.

Part II — Mr. Johns Regrets, June 23

This talk focuses on Johns’s penchant for repetition of specific imagery and his well- known reticence for art world hubbub. In the Regrets series, the image is doubled and abstracted to the extent that the resulting shapes — rather than the figure — become the focus. In the upper right, Johns “signed” each work with an enlarged image of the rubber stamp he uses to decline invitations: “Regrets/Jasper Johns.”

Part III — Stars & Stripes, June 30

Since 1955, Johns has made more than 100 images featuring the American flag in myriad forms — changing its orientation and size; fragmenting, mirroring, or doubling the image; and producing it with a variety of colors and paper types. This talk will explore Johns’s and other artists’ fascination with the American flag and the ways in which they have incorporated this motif into their work.

The Parrish Art Museum is at 279 Montauk Highway, Water Mill. Advance ticket purchase with pre-event registration is recommended at parrishart.org.